RIDON DENIES ATTACKING SENATOR-JUDGES, TELLS PADILLA TO REVIEW INTERVIEWS

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon denied Senator Robin Padilla’s claim that House prosecutors attacked detained senator-judges during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, calling the allegation “absolutely fake news.”

Ridon said he never argued that detained Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta should be barred from participating, adding that their participation should be decided by the Senate Impeachment Court and the proper courts.

Padilla, in an interview with SMNI, accused Ridon and Rep. Leila de Lima of questioning the participation of the detained senator-judges and insisted that prosecutors should not interfere with the Senate’s internal rules.

The exchange followed a tense moment during the impeachment proceedings in which Padilla criticized the prosecution for allegedly being one-sided and questioned its position on witnesses with pending cases.

Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro and prosecution counsel Lorna Kapunan defended their role, stressing that it is the prosecution’s duty to present evidence against Duterte while the defense is responsible for proving her innocence.

Source: PhilNews24 | July 25, 2026