A draft resolution seeking to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte is making the rounds in the Senate but will face many challenges before it can achieve its goal, incoming Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Wednesday.
Lacson, who received a copy of the “undated, unnumbered, (and) unauthored” draft, said that even if it is eventually adopted in plenary, it may still be overturned by the Supreme Court.
“I received a copy of the draft resolution from an insider in the Senate. It is making the rounds in the Senate so that if it gets enough signatures, it can be debated upon and possibly adopted if it has the support of the majority,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.
“But this is a resolution that can still be questioned before the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the petitioner, it can compel the Senate to continue with the impeachment trial,” he added.
In Filipino: Ping Lacson: Draft Resolution Para Ibasura ang Impeachment Case ni VP, Maraming Pagdadaanan
The draft resolution cited, among others, a lapse of more than 100 days since the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate, without any corresponding action from the Senate – which is to adjourn June 13.
It also claimed the Senate’s rules prohibit the crossover of the impeachment proceedings to the 20th Congress.
For now, Lacson said the draft resolution cannot even be read on the Senate floor because it has no author. He said it will have to be authored by at least one senator and go through the usual referral to an appropriate committee that will submit a committee report after being signed by the majority of the committee members and finally adopted or approved in plenary.
“Even if majority of senators signed the resolution, it must be formally adopted in plenary. If the signatories change their minds and withdraw support, there is a chance the resolution won’t be adopted,” he said.
“(And even if the resolution is adopted in the Senate), it cannot be deemed final, as it is still possible that someone files a petition with the Supreme Court questioning the resolution, and the Supreme Court compels the Senate to convene into an impeachment court,” he added.
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Ping Lacson: Draft Resolution Para Ibasura ang Impeachment Case ni VP, Maraming Pagdadaanan
Umiikot sa Senado ang isang draft resolution para ibasura ang impeachment case laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte pero marami pa itong pagdadaanan bago nito makamtan ang layunin nito, ayon kay incoming Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Miyerkules.
Ani Lacson, na nakakuha ng kopya ng draft resolution na “undated, unnumbered, (at) unauthored,” kailangan nito ang pirma ng hindi bababa sa 13 senador at i-adopt sa plenaryo – nguni’t pwede pa rin itong baligtarin ng Korte Suprema.
“Taga-Senate kasi ang nagpadala sa akin. Ang sinabi, may iniikot na proposed resolution na pirmahan ng mga senador para madebate nila sa floor in case makakuha ng signature ang resolution. Resolution yan pero kailangan i-tackle sa plenaryo at pagdebatehan at kailangan ng majority na boto para ma-adopt ang resolution,” aniya sa panayam sa DZMM.
Binanggit sa draft resolution ang “lapse” na higit 100 araw mula ma-transmit sa Senado ang Articles of Impeachment nguni’t hindi inaksyunan agad ng Senado na mag-a-adjourn sa Hunyo 13.
Dagdag ng draft resolution, pinagbabawal ng Senate rules ang pag-crossover ng impeachment proceedings sa ika-20 na Kongreso.
Ipinunto ni Lacson na hindi pa pwedeng basahin sa plenaryo ang draft resolution kung wala pa itong may-akda. Aniya, kailangan nito ng may-akda at dumaan sa proseso, kabilang ang pag-refer sa nararapat na komite na maglalabas ng committee report na pirmado ng mayorya ng myembro ng komite, at i-adopt o aprubahan sa plenaryo.
“Maski majority ang nakapirma, kailangan formally i-adopt yan sa plenaryo kasi kung may mag-object at magkaroon ng debate at magbago ng pananaw o decision ng iba dahil sa results ng debate, hindi ma-adopt ang resolution,” ani Lacson.
“(At kahit ma-adopt ang resolusyon sa Senado), hindi pwedeng sabihing final na yan. Kung may magdudulog sa Korte Suprema at i-compel ang Senado na mali ang inyong interpretation at kailangan mag-conduct kayo ng trial, mag-convert kayo into an impeachment court at mag-conduct kayo ng trial, pwede siguro mangyari yan,” dagdag niya.
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