For Senator Erwin Tulfo, if anything is slowing down Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, it's senator-judges who insist on giving "Law 101" lectures during the proceedings.

In an ambush interview on Wednesday, July 22, Tulfo said some senator-judges spend too much time explaining legal concepts instead of focusing on the evidence and witness testimonies presented before the court.

"Meron kasing mga kasamahan namin sa senator-judges, parang kailangan pa bang lecture-an natin yung mga lawyers, yung mga prosecution (Some of my fellow senator-judges seem to feel the need to lecture the lawyers and the prosecution). We waste time," Tulfo said.

He said senator-judges should simply point out errors committed by either party instead of delivering what he described as "Law 101" lectures.

"Kung may mali, eh di punahin mo na lang. 'O mali 'yun.' Kasi kung lecture-an mo pa ng Law 101, parang napapalayo (If there's a mistake, then just point it out. Say, 'That's wrong.' But if you're going to give a 'Law 101' lecture, the discussion just goes off track)," he said.

According to Tulfo, discussions should remain centered on the evidence and testimonies relevant to the impeachment case, rather than revisiting basic legal principles or questioning the legal knowledge of the parties.

"Dapat yung puntuhin na lang yung tungkol sa ebidensya, tungkol doon sa testimonya, pero kung babalikan mo pa yung mga sa law school, ganito, ganito yung mga pinag-aralan, mga wala kayong pinag-aralan. Hindi relevant doon sa issue eh. Kaya doon tumatagal eh (We should simply focus on the evidence and the testimony. But if we keep going back to what was taught in law school—saying things like, 'This is what you should have learned,' or implying, 'You didn't learn this'—it's not relevant to the issue. That's what makes the proceedings drag on)," he added.

Tulfo, however, said the Senate impeachment court should not rush the proceedings at the expense of a thorough examination of the evidence.

He said that while they acknowledge the desire to speed up the trial, he stressed that senator-judges must careful

ly review the evidence to ensure that no crucial pieces are overlooked or left inadequately explained. He added that simply presenting evidence is not enough, as it must also be properly examined and understood before the court reaches a decision.