Questions

The right of senators to ask questions should not be limited to a mere observer status common in judicial proceedings. Senators are neither judges bound by court rules of the judiciary even though they may elect to be guided by such rules. It is absurd to limit the capacity of each senator to make inquiries based on a perceived procedural error.

To apply the strictest level of requirement on evidence on a process in which the maximum penalty is no more than perpetual removal from any public office is not grounded on precedent. Does impeachment conviction deprive a person of his/her fundamental right? Is perpetual removal from any public office considered "cruel, degrading, or inhuman punishment" that the person accused may take refuge on the bill of rights?

I believe the answer to the two questions asked requires us to answer this question: is public office a fundamental right of a citizen?

Verification and Plagiarism

Verification can only be achieved by reading the document? I thought verification means affixing the signature (confirming acknowledgement) of a declarant, the content being the sole responsibility of the declarant regardless of whether be it true or otherwise.

In any case, raise your hand if you have read your credit card agreement word-for-word before signing it. What about when you bought a car or house? Did you read everything in the document you signed, even the fine print?

Do all lawmakers read the bill they vote on? Last time I heard, the most recent US healthcare law comprised of a thousand five hundred pages. When majority opinions were published, did the majority read the dissenting opinion(s) and were the dissenting opinion(s) given the opportunity to be read and heard?

Due process takes course because the declarants need to defend their statements; the accused have a chance to face his accuser, call witnesses for his defense, and refute the accusation in an adversarial setting.

Last question, why on earth is a political process essentially operated by the Rules of Court? Because there is no originality. Mahilig mag-plagiarize.