Two senators on Saturday said the President could not afford to fail in his campaign against Gutierrez, considering that he has already made public his position that she should at least be brought to an impeachment trial.

“It would be embarrassing for the President if the Ombudsman would be acquitted by the Senate, despite his support for her impeachment,” said one senator, who is a known supporter of Malacañang.

Another senator told the Inquirer: “The price to pay is too high for an acquittal. It would diminish his political capital.”

The lawmakers spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to appear to have prejudged the case. Senators will act as judges in an impeachment court in the event that impeachment complaint is elevated to the Senate.

One of them noted that Mr. Aquino once failed in his effort to install Sen. Francis Pangilinan, a member of his Liberal Party, as Senate president.

Despite the President’s endorsement, Pangilinan failed to get enough votes, allowing former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to keep the post at the last minute.

This political debacle indicated that the President could not rein in the 23-member chamber where only four senators are from the LP, according to the source.

“He failed on that one and he cannot afford to fail again this time,” the senator said.

But the informant was certain that Mr. Aquino would “move” this time to ensure that Gutierrez, an appointee of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, would be impeached and ousted.

“He cannot afford not to move politically. He was already embarrassed with what happened with Kiko (Pangilinan),” he said.

“He already drew the line. Believe me, he will move. He knows how to play the game.”

The senator defended the President’s order for LP congressmen to ensure the impeachment of Gutierrez.

“It’s easy to say that he should not have spoken in public, but he wanted to talk and he wanted to make his position clear,” he said.

“But remember that the little girl is also operating in the House,” he added, referring to Arroyo, who is now a representative of Pampanga.

The senator said Arroyo remained in a position to influence decisions in the House even if she was with the minority bloc.

“She only lost her political capital,” he said. “But remember the ‘golden rule’—he who has the gold rules.”

Senator Francis Escudero on Friday said the present composition of the Senate and the impeachment rules would tend to favor Gutierrez.

He said the Ombudsman needed only seven senators to vote against her impeachment. In contrast, prosecutors would have to convince 16 senators that Gutierrez has to leave.

Pangilinan said Saturday that Escudero was “partly correct in that if the vote in the Senate is to happen tomorrow, then it will be very difficult to get a 16-vote conviction.”

“But the vote is not going to happen tomorrow, so quite a lot can still happen between now and when the vote is to be made,” he said in a statement.

Christian Esguerra, Phil. Daily Inquirer