Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday said impeaching a vice president is different from impeaching a sitting president, noting that a vice president can still be held accountable without triggering intense political conflict.
“Kapag presidente ang pinag-uusapan… every single day he or she stays na hindi natatanggal, that’s damage to the country,” Cayetano told reporters on June 3.
He also said removing a president from office is a much heavier process due to the potential for national instability.
In contrast, impeaching a vice president involves less political weight, making it easier to pursue accountability without disrupting the country.
“Kasi ang vice president, pwede mong kasuhan sa piskalya. Pwede mong kasuhan sa Ombudsman. So there are other ways to hold them accountable na walang pulitika,” he said.
Under the 1987 Constitution, both the president and vice president can be impeached for serious offenses such as betrayal of public trust, graft, or high crimes.
But according to the Department of Justice, the vice president, while an impeachable official, is “not immune from suit” and that “only the President is immune from suit.”
Still, Cayetano reminded the public that the Senate has a constitutional duty it cannot ignore in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Walang choice ang Senado. We have to carry out our constitutional duty. Hindi mo pwedeng pagbotohan kung ano’ng dapat gawin sa Constitution. Nakalagay sa Constitution, malinaw e. May trial,” he said.
Cayetano acknowledged how divided public opinion has become, noting how many Filipinos already have strong views on whether the Vice President should be tried or cleared right away.
“Makikita niyo sa comments…meron neutral pero marami talaga diyan, gustong makita na trina-try siya. Y’ung iba naman, gustong ma-absuelto kaagad. That’s where the political nature of the impeachment comes in,” he said.
The senator also pointed out the timing of the complaint, which was filed just as the campaign season was starting last February and with only weeks left before the 19th Congress ends.
“It would have been a totally different case if it’s at the start of the term, middle of the term. Pero the reality is finile mo the day na magsastart y’ung campaign… and now we only have two weeks,” he said.
Despite these complications, Cayetano emphasized the importance of staying true to the Constitution.
“Kaya may second oath. Hindi kami pwedeng mag comment [beforehand]. Kasi mag-oath kami uli that we’ll be fair,” he said.
