Political analyst Lito Banayo described Sen. Mark Villar’s decision to side with the majority while his sister, Sen. Camille Villar, stayed with the minority as a form of political “hedging,” saying it left the family with “one foot on the door, one foot outside the door.”
Banayo made the statement during an interview on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s At The Forefront with Atty. Karen Jimeno.
Villar was among the senator-judges who voted with the majority during the Sept. 23 proceedings on the impeachment conviction threshold, while Camille Villar was among those who refused to participate in the vote.
Asked why the Villar siblings appeared to have split their positions, Banayo said Mark could still vote either to acquit or convict Vice President Sara Duterte even after the threshold was changed.
“Theoretically, he could still vote for acquittal or conviction, even if the numbers have been changed. Puwede pa naman siya bumoto for acquittal eh, puwede din siya bumoto for conviction,” Banayo said.
But he described the move as a strategy of keeping options open.
“Kung ikaw ang legal adviser, parang hedging ka, one foot on the door, one foot outside the door. But the pressures are there,” he said.
Banayo said the differing positions of the Villar siblings could be a way of protecting their political interests amid the pressure surrounding the impeachment proceedings.
He also linked Mark Villar’s vote to possible legal pressures facing some senators.
Asked whether Villar’s vote could lead to the dismissal or suspension of cases against him, Banayo said he believed suspension was more likely.
“I think suspended. You have swords of Damocles over him, you have swords of Damocles over Chiz Escudero, over Joel Villanueva and probably some other people whether from the majority or minority,” Banayo said.
He stressed, however, that he was not close to either Mark or Camille Villar and acknowledged that he could not say with certainty what prompted their differing positions.#