SENATE President Juan Ponce Enrile admitted he now sees no reason for him to be happy as Presiding Officer of the impeachment court.

The 88-year-old senator explained that aside from studying the legality of all the issues in the impeachment trial, he has to weigh all the different positions of other senator-judges.

“It’s simply very trying, no pun intended,” Enrile said.

However, Enrile made it clear that senator-judges have one responsibility: observe the rule of law and not let themselves be used by those who have interests to promote.

“Indeed, even as the ‘sole power’ to try and decide all cases of impeachment is lodged on the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, the actual exercise of that awesome power is subject to the bill of rights enshrined in the Constitution,” Enrile added.

Enrile also clarified that the Senate is not “supreme” even though they have the sole power to try impeachment cases, the separation of powers of the three branches of the government --- Executive, Legislative and Judiciary -- remains.

“The Senate sitting as an impeachment court must at all times observe the rule of law. It cannot transgress any of the applicable provisions of the bill of rights. It must be guided by the presumption of innocence before the pronouncement of guilt. It must at all times observe the principle of procedural and substantial due process,” he said.

Enrile also said whatever the outcome of the trial, it will have a big impact on the country.

“Its success or failure to achieve the purpose for which the Constitution has provided this mechanism as part of our system of checks and balances and of public accountability, may spell the success or failure of our democratic institutions, the strengthening or weakening of our sense of justice as a people, our stability or disintegration as a nation, and the triumph or demise of the rule of law in our land,” he added.

“Whatever the outcome may be, I will leave it to our people and to history to judge me based on my actions and decisions as presiding officer and a juror of this impeachment court,” he said.