Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Tuesday the strength of evidence will shape how senators vote on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.

Gatchalian said the outcome would hinge on the evidence gathered by the House of Representatives and presented before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court although public pressure and opinion may also influence senators, given their nationwide mandate.

“It will boil down to the evidence… what the House of Representatives have gathered. That will be presented eventually,” he said in a television interview.

He emphasized the need for impartiality once senators assume their roles as judges in the impeachment court.

“I pray that our fellow senators, when they put on the robe, they will become impartial as much as possible because what matters the most will be the evidence that will be presented,” he added.

Gatchalian said the House proceedings are currently focused on determining probable cause, with additional evidence expected to be presented if the complaint is transmitted to the Senate.

The House Committee on Justice is expected to decide whether there is sufficient basis to elevate the impeachment complaint against Duterte to the Senate for trial. (PNA)