For incoming Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, the best way forward on the issue of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is to let it cross over to the 20th Congress, with the Senate acting as an impeachment court.
Lacson rejected the claim of a draft resolution traced to the office of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa that the Senate can declare a de facto dismissal of the impeachment case against the Vice President, saying only the Senate as an impeachment court can render a decision on the matter.
“There is no sense in the draft resolution calling for the de facto dismissal of the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte. Only the Senate as an impeachment court can render a decision on the matter, not the Senate as a legislative body, as the latter has no jurisdiction or legal authority to do so,” he stressed.
In Filipino: Ping Lacson: Pag-Crossover sa 20th Congress, Pinakamainam na Opsyon para sa VP Impeachment Trial
He added that while it is no longer possible for the impeachment trial to be conducted in the 19th Congress due to lack of time, the Senate as an impeachment court will not be bound by this constraint.
Lacson, in an interview on One News late Thursday, also cited the debates in the Senate last June 2 where Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III referred to the case of Pimentel vs Joint Congressional Hearing in 2004, indicating the Senate as an impeachment court is different from the Senate as a legislative body.
“If they (senators) are not acting as an impeachment court, they have no personality to dismiss the impeachment case. The only entity that can act on an impeachment case properly transmitted by the House is the impeachment court itself,” he said.
“In this case, the impeachment court is not yet convened so the Senate is currently acting as a legislative body and I don’t think they are authorized to act on an impeachment case transmitted by the House,” he added.
When asked if the Senate can act on such a prospective resolution to not convene as an impeachment court, Lacson said, “They can always try but I think the Supreme Court can strike it down if someone questions the resolution.”
“For me, the best way forward is to let the impeachment trial cross over to the 20th Congress because it can no longer be done in the 19th Congress. Going further, the best way forward is to go into trial, to determine if there is a conviction or acquittal,” he added.
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Ping Lacson: Pag-Crossover sa 20th Congress, Pinakamainam na Opsyon para sa VP Impeachment Trial
Para kay Senator-elect Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson, ang pinakamainam na opsyon para sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte ay ang pag-crossover nito sa 20th Congress, kung saan kikilos ang Senado bilang impeachment court.
Hindi sang-ayon si Lacson sa draft resolution galing sa tanggapan ni Sen. Ronald dela Rosa na maaaring magdeklara ng de facto dismissal ng impeachment case ang kasalukuyang Senado, dahil tanging ang Senado bilang impeachment court ang maaaring magdesisyon dito.
“There is no sense in the draft resolution calling for the de facto dismissal of the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte. Only the Senate as an impeachment court can render a decision on the matter, not the Senate as a legislative body, as the latter has no jurisdiction or legal authority to do so,” giit ni Lacson.
Dagdag niya, bagama’t hindi na posible na gawin ang impeachment trial sa 19th Congress dahil sa kakulangan ng oras, hindi tali sa time constraint na ito ang Senado bilang isang impeachment court.
Sa panayam sa One News Huwebes ng hapon, binanggit ni Lacson ang debate sa Senado noong Hunyo 2. Dito ay ipinunto ni Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III ang kaso ng Pimentel vs Joint Congressional Hearing noong 2004, kung saan lumalabas na ang Senado bilang impeachment court ay iba sa Senado bilang legislative body.
“Hindi nga sila (mga senador) nag-a-act as impeachment court so wala silang personality or authority mag-dismiss ng isang impeachment case. Ang pwede lang umakto sa impeachment case na properly transmitted ng House sa Senate para mag-constitute sila into an impeachment court ay ang court mismo,” ani Lacson.
“In this case hindi pa convened ang impeachment court, umaakto sila as a legislative body. I don’t think they are authorized to act on an impeachment case transmitted by the House,” dagdag niya.
Nang tanungin kung pwedeng aktuhan ng Senado ang resolusyon na hindi na mag-convene bilang impeachment court, giit ni Lacson: “They can always try pero sa tingin ko i-strike down ng Korte Suprema yan kung may mag-question doon.”
“Para sa akin ito, the best way forward is bayaang mag-crossover sa 20th Congress kasi imposible nang matapos sa 19th Congress. Again, going further, the best way forward is to go into trial, para ma-determine kung may conviction or to acquit,” dagdag niya.
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