23/09/2026
Delikado! Nagsimula ng Magtanga-tangahan si Camille.
CAMILLE EMOTIONAL, APPEALS FOR RESPECT FOR ABSENT SENATORS
Senator-Judge Camille Villar became emotional on Wednesday, September 23, as she appealed to Senator-Judge Erwin Tulfo and her fellow senators to respect colleagues who are unable to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
During Day 29 of the trial, Villar said the absence of detained senators was not their choice and that it was unfair to label them as involved in plunder and theft because none of them had been convicted.
"I think we should be reminded that the senators that are being detained and who are not here right now, that is not their choice, and I think it's unfair to call them out that, you know, their crimes are of, you know, plunder and of theft, because none of those senators have been convicted," Villar said.
Villar, the youngest member of the Senate, then appealed for an end to attacks among senators and urged them to show respect to their colleagues, whether present or absent.
"And as the youngest member of this august body, can we stop it with the, with the, with these attacks on each other? We are senators of the Philippines. Let us give each other due respect. Let's give Filipinos due respect," she said.
She also pushed back against describing the absent senators as guilty of crimes before they have been convicted.
"Konting respeto naman kasi lahat naman po ng wala dito, hindi naman po sila napatunayan na may sala. Hindi po sila plunderer. Hindi po sila magnanakaw. Hindi po sila napatunayan na ganun," Villar said.
Villar ended her remarks by saying she gives her colleagues due respect and hopes they would do the same for senators who are unable to attend the proceedings.
"I afford my colleagues due respect, and I just hope that our colleagues can do the same for those that are here and are not here," she said.