Philippines’ VP’s Impeachment Trial: Whose Prayers Will Be Answered?
MANILA, The Philippines — Amid sharply divided positions on whether to convict Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio on impeachment, senator-judges have spent the last few weeks praying publicly before hearing evidence.
The senators — after being converted into senator-judges for the impeachment court — have been mandated to decide the vice president’s fate. They are expected to deliver their verdict sometime before Christmas. While three of the four articles of impeachment against her have been recently dropped, the one that accuses the vice president of enriching herself remains.
But whose prayers will ultimately be answered?
Duterte comes from a powerful political family and was the former running mate of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., before they became bitter rivals. Charges against her include the misuse or misappropriation of public funds spent during her former government roles and unexplained personal wealth that was not disclosed properly.
Duterte has denied any wrongdoing and has “repeatedly accused Marcos, his wife and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, of corruption, weak leadership and attempting to muzzle her because of speculation she may seek the presidency in 2028 when Marcos' six-year term ends,” according to The Associated Press.
The highly religious country is 76% Catholic, with some smaller Protestant denominations. Islam represents about 6% of the population. Filipinos have some of the highest rates of prayer in the world, according to Pew Research, and that daily tradition is playing out again in the public eye: These senator-judges usually rise to open each trial session with a prayer. Some say it with words, while others invite colleagues and those in attendance to utter them silently.
As senators invoke God, wisdom, fairness and freedom from political bias at the start of each day of Duterte’s trial, their prayers underscore the extraordinary burden before the court. When the final verdict does come in, the question will be whether those appeals for impartiality and truth translate into judgments grounded in the evidence, the Constitution and the rules of impeachment.
Most of those who openly say their prayers seek the prevalence of truth, divine wisdom and fairness. Still others seek the protection of the Impeachment Court’s integrity and protection from biases.
Renowned Baptist Pastor and Manila Congressman Bienvenido Abante, in an interview with Rappler, said, “All the prayers uttered by senator-judges always sought for the truth to come out.”
Abante was a member of the House of Representatives’ so-called Quad-Com, a joint panel that heard witness testimony, reviewed evidence and drafted the Articles of Impeachment used in the vice president's case.
The congressman said he hopes all the senator-judges really listen to all the trial proceedings and look at the pieces of evidence presented, instead of just talking to some other senators or leaving the session in the middle of the trial.
Sociology professor and opinion columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer Prince Kennex Aldama has noticed an uptick in religious rhetoric in the Senate and among Filipino politicians. One senator even declared himself “an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ” in a committee hearing. Aldama warned that when political leaders wrap their discourse too tightly in religious symbolism, it can result in “political insulation” and a lack of accountability.
Here are some of the prayers heard during the trial:
Joel Villanueva
A politician and Christian pastor, Senator-Judge Joel Villanueva stood, for example, on Day 17 of the impeachment trial and invoked a Bible passage from Psalms in his opening prayer. The verse reads: “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.”
The senator-judge went on to seek God’s guidance for him and his colleagues to allow truth, justice and righteousness to prevail and to prevent them from leaning on biases and personal interests so they can decide effectively and be equipped with holy integrity.
He added, “Guide us to have humble hearts and hearts to respect and love our country. May our decision only be for the good of (the) majority of our countrymen.”
Robinhood Padilla
In the same vein, Senator-Judge Robinhood Padilla, a Muslim and known to be a supporter of the vice president, sought God’s wisdom in his prayer on Day 12 of the impeachment trial.
“Our one and only God, the only just Judge, the God of all the earth, the most merciful and most compassionate, we are asking for Your wisdom at this time, when we are given the heaviest obligation to render justice,” he said.
He added: “We know, Allah, that only you are the only judge and being a judge is a very heavy burden on our shoulders to provide justice, not only in this world, but that this is a matter that our countrymen will carry in our history. Only You, Father God, can give us the boldness to give the right [verdict] at this time.”
Alan Peter Cayetano
Senator-Judge Alan Peter Cayetano, who is also known to be a staunch Duterte ally and a Christian, also delivered his prayer on Day 2 of the impeachment trial. Like Villanueva, Cayetano cited a Bible verse that talks about God’s plan for his people.
“Lord God, Holy Spirit, do not allow us to obstruct justice. Yet, always give us the strength to obstruct injustice, regardless of the cost and the consequences,” he said. “Help us build a justice system that is ideal, rather than one that is weaponized and is actually an instrument of oppression and tyranny. We may agree in many things, but let us agree in asking for Your love, grace, and mercy upon the nation.”
The trial continues this fall as the senator-judges hear evidance. Given all the testimonies, cross-examination and re-cross-examination, the Filipino people are wondering whose prayers will be answered on judgment day?’
Baby Lyn Cacho Resulta is a reporter for the Philippines-based Far East Broadcasting Company.