WALANG naganap na botohan ng mga senator-judge sa subpoena ruling ni Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero dahil walang pormal na umapela sa kanyang desisyon, ayon kay Senate Impeachment Court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol.

Sinabi ni Tongol na boboto lamang ang buong impeachment court kung ibabalik ni Escudero ang usapin sa mga senator-judge o kung may aapela sa ruling.

“As I explained before, only if the Presiding Officer decides on his own to throw the question back to the Impeachment Court, that voting will happen,” ani Tongol.

“Now, another voting can happen if there was a Senator Judge who will appeal the resolution of the Presiding Officer, but that did not happen, so there was no voting for today,” dagdag niya.

Pinayagan ang ilang senator-judge na magsumite ng written dissent upang maitala ang kanilang pagtutol, pero walang naghain ng appeal na magpapaboto sa buong korte.

Dahil dito, nanatili ang ruling ni Escudero.

“Since no majority Sen Judge raised any issue on that and no minority Sen Judge appealed the resolution of the presiding officer as held by previous impeachment courts in the Corona and Estrada impeachment, the ruling of the chair will stand as unquestioned,” sinabi ni Tongol.

Sinabi rin niya na naihanda na ang malaking bahagi ng desisyon bago pa nagsimula ang impeachment trial noong July 6.

“So basically, the main chunk of the decision of the Presiding Officer has already been prepared even before July 6,” aniya.

Ayon kay Tongol, ipinagpaliban ang ruling matapos maghain ang House prosecution panel ng panibagong subpoena request, humingi ng kopya ang depensa at humiling ng oral arguments ang mga senator-judge.

Dagdag niya, kinonsulta rin ni Escudero ang mga senator-judge sa caucus at binigyan sila ng panahon upang pag-aralan ang usapin bago inilabas ang ruling.