Political analyst Lito Banayo claimed that at least six to seven senators have already made up their minds to convict Vice President Sara Duterte even at this juncture of the impeachment proceedings where evidence is still being presented.
Banayo made the revelation during an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s At The Forefront with Atty. Karen Jimeno.
Asked whether the senators’ votes on the impeachment conviction threshold could indicate how they might vote after the trial, Banayo said several senators from the majority appeared to have already decided on Duterte’s fate.
“Without naming names on the part of the majority, you can easily identify six or seven who have made up their minds to convict,” Banayo said.
When asked who they were, Banayo named senators Erwin and Raffy Tulfo, former Senate President Tito Sotto, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, and the three Liberal and Akbayan senators Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan.
He later added Sen. Lito Lapid, bringing his estimate to about eight.
“Probably Lito Lapid kasi nadadala naman ’yan nang kanilang macho bloc,” Banayo said.
Banayo, however, said some senators could still be weighing the political consequences of their votes particularly those facing reelection.
“There are those who are one, up for re-election and would consider a political backlash from the south,” he said.
He cited Senators JV Ejercito and Chiz Escudero.
Banayo also claimed that three minority senators could stop participating in the succeeding impeachment proceedings.
He said he had sent messages to four minority senators after the Senate’s deliberations on the impeachment voting threshold.
“One of them is in jail, detained. And I said, ‘Lokohan na ito. This is a kangaroo court. You might as well just walk out and not participate any longer,’” Banayo said.
He said the senators could stay out of the proceedings pending a ruling from the Supreme Court on the disputed voting threshold.
“Pending whatever the SC will decide because I’m sure someone will go to the SC, whether it is the defense lawyers or whoever else,” he said.
Asked whether the senators he contacted had agreed to stop participating, Banayo said three had agreed with his suggestion.
“Yes. Three of them agreed with me,” he said.
One of the four senators, he added, did not respond to his message.#