VP Sara's arrest puts Senate allies on notice- Banayo

By BNC staff The arrest warrant against Vice President Sara Duterte was meant to send a message to her Senate allies to rethink their position in her impeachment trial, with the administration determined to secure her conviction and press its case against her, political strategist Lito Banayo said on Tuesday. Speaking on Bilyonaryo News Channel's 'At the Forefront' program, Banayo said the criminal case against Duterte should be viewed in the context of her impeachment trial, with the timing of the warrant carrying political implications for senators who will decide her fate. 'It's not as if the trial in the Quezon City… court would prevent the Vice President from running for president. That's a different thing,' Banayo said. 'She can go all the way up to the Supreme Court. But it sends a powerful message to the senator-judges, who they are trying mightily to convict, to vote for conviction,' he added. He said the message was particularly directed at 11 the senators aligned with the Duterte bloc who were expected to oppose the Vice President's conviction in the impeachment trial. 'Yung 11, yun ang target,' he said. 'So pag ginawa mo ito kay Sara, which they did, they're delivering a message to them, 'hindi namin tatantanan ito.' 'We are dead set on getting her convicted, so you might as well rethink your options.'' Banayo was referring to Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter and Senators Pia Cayetano, Christopher 'Bong' Go, Robinhood Padilla, Rodante Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, Mark and Camille Villar, Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa, Loren Legarda and Jinggoy Estrada. He also suggested that the timing of the warrant could have been politically calculated, particularly because the subsequent arrest of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez shifted public attention away from Duterte's case. 'So the focus will now be on (Ramualdez) rather than the warrant of arrest issued against the Vice President, which is quite unpopular to most people,' Banayo said.