Senator Robin Padilla said he consulted Google to comprehend legal terminologies prior to articulating his opposition to the election of Sen. Francis Escudero as presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Padilla admitted on the Senate floor on Monday that he sought help from the search engine because the issue involved constitutional and legal language that he said was outside his expertise.
“Humingi po ako ng tulong sa Google kasi legal terms po ito. Hindi naman po ako nagtapos sa UP, hindi rin po ako nagtapos sa Ateneo, nagtapos po ako ng criminology at UP rin… sa University of Prison,” Padilla said.
Padilla’s reference of the “University of Prison” was a return to a phrase he has used over the years to characterize the lessons he said he gained during his time in prison in the 1990s.
His statement followed the senators’ vote over the presiding officer for Duterte’s impeachment trial. Padilla was one of the senators that contested Escudero’s election as presiding officer, contending that the Constitution should be adhered to as explicitly stated rather than depending on custom or historical precedent.
Padilla said he initially submitted a motion but withdrew it after investigating the legal matter and reviewing words ascribed to former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.
He stressed that laws must be interpreted based on their exact wording.
“Ang batas po ay precise,” Padilla said. “Hindi po ito puwedeng iba-ibahin o baluktutin. Kung ano po ang sinasabi ng Saligang Batas, sana po ay panghawakan natin.”
Padilla also questioned why Senate tradition had, at times, taken precedence over written rules. He recalled that in previous proceedings, Escudero had presided because he was Senate president, but argued that practice should not automatically override the Constitution.
The discussion focused on a critical constitutional issue presented on the inaugural day of Duterte’s impeachment trial: Who ought to preside when the respondent is the vice president?
The Chief Justice only presides when the President is on trial, according to the Constitution. Senators are left to debate whether the Senate president should preside over impeachment cases involving the vice president or whether the chamber may select a different presiding officer in accordance with its own impeachment procedures.
Padilla stated he voted according to his interpretation of the Constitution and not political connections. He also recalled that when he was requested to join the Senate majority before, he consented only when he learned that Escudero would be the Senate president.
His admission that he relied on Google to understand legal terminology quickly drew attention online, with supporters saying there was nothing wrong with researching unfamiliar legal concepts, while critics questioned why a sitting senator had to depend on an internet search for a constitutional issue being debated in an impeachment court.
