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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Padilla's logic on blocking Senate impeachment trial stumps Luistro

Padilla's logic on blocking Senate impeachment trial stumps Luistro

Published May 10, 2026 08:06 pm

At A Glance

  • Batangas Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro says she cannot understand Senator Robin Padilla's reasoning for blocking the Senate from convening as an impeachment court to try Vice President Sara Duterte.
  • Padilla insists the Senate minority bloc should oppose the impeachment process simply because they are the political opposition, a stance Luistro rejects as lacking basis.
  • Luistro emphasizes that impeachment is a constitutional process meant to serve the Filipino people's best interests.
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (left), Senator Robin Padilla (Facebook)
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (left), Senator Robin Padilla (Facebook)


Lawyer-legislator Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro has admitted that she can't quite grasp Senator Robin Padilla's logic regarding his stern desire to prevent the Senate for convening into an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“I respect Senator Robin but his statement is quite difficult to understand,” Luistro, chairperson of the House Committee on Justice, said over the weekend.
Luistro, a lawyer, issued the statement after Padilla declared the Senate minority bloc would block the impeachment court, since that's what the political opposition was supposed to do.
For her, being part of the so-called "opposition" shouldn't be an automatic basis for a member of Congress to prevent Vice President Duterte's impeachment trial from happening.
“We respect Senator Robin Padilla. But in the absence of reason, of basis why the impeachment court should not be convened, I think it will be very difficult to understand why they will move not to convene. Dapat ilatag muna nila ano bang dahilan,” Luistro said.
In the House of Representatives, both majority and minority congressmen are supporting the move to oust Duterte via the constitutional process of impeachment.
The House minority bloc is part of rhe traditional opposition in the 300-plus strong chamber.
“Because his (Padilla) reason na just because they are opposition, they will be going against convening the impeachment court or going against the impeachment. That’s very difficult to understand,” Luistro said.
“This is a political exercise. What is at stake is the best interest of the sovereign Filipino people,” noted the Batangueña.
Padilla, a former movie star, is a staunch Duterte family ally.
The 1987 Constitution mandates the senators to hold the impeachment trial forthwith once they receive the article of impeachment from the House of Representatives.
The earliest that the congressmen can vote for the adoption of the articles and its subsequent sending to the Senate is during Monday's plenary session.

Related Tags

Robin Padilla Gerville \"Jinky Bitrics\" Luistro Impeachment Sara Duterte impeachment trial
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