Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is “hoping against hope” that his colleagues in the Senate will respect the Supreme Court’s final ruling addressing the House of Representatives’ motion for reconsideration on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a radio interview Saturday, Lacson noted that the majority of his colleagues who voted to archive the impeachment complaint had cited the need to respect and obey the high court’s ruling.
“Let’s put it this way. I’m hoping against hope they will respect the final ruling of the Supreme Court addressing the motion for reconsideration. Because if the high court reverses its ruling and they stick to their vote, I will remind them that in their vote to archive the complaint, they invoked respect for the high court,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio, when asked about what would happen if the Supreme Court reversed its ruling.
In Filipino: Lacson, ‘Hoping Against Hope’ na Rerespetuhin ng Kapwa Senador ang Final Ruling ng SC sa VP Impeachment
He said this was why he abstained from voting on the motion to archive the case, as his position is to respect and to not disobey the July 25, 2025 ruling of the Supreme Court, but he did not want to preempt the final ruling as there is a pending motion for reconsideration.
Also, Lacson noted that the high court had ordered the Vice President to comment on the motion for reconsideration, instead of a minute resolution dismissing it.
“This means that they want to review the motion based on the merits presented by the Solicitor General. I’m just speculating but it’s not every day that the high court will order a party to comment on its unanimous decision,” he said.
Lacson also noted the best action the Senate would have taken on the high court’s initial ruling is inaction, especially now that there is a pending motion for reconsideration.
“If we stayed put, we do not violate anything. Archiving the complaint may be tantamount to preempting the high court’s final decision. Are we assuming it will deny the motion? We don’t know that. Yet why are we archiving it? That’s why I questioned it,” he said.
For now, Lacson said the impeachment complaint may be considered dead but can still be resuscitated, noting that it can be pulled from the archives although there will be another round of debates and voting.
Meanwhile, Lacson said the ribbing by some of his colleagues aimed at the House of Representatives last Wednesday, including jabs aimed at its leaders, was uncalled for.
“We are a collegial body and it is the majority that will determine if there is a violation of inter-parliamentary courtesy. But my opinion is that it was uncalled for because we are discussing the legality and we must not inject other issues,” he said.
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Lacson, ‘Hoping Against Hope’ na Rerespetuhin ng Kapwa Senador ang Final Ruling ng SC sa VP Impeachment
“Hoping against hope” si Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson na gagalangin ng kasamahan niya sa Senado ang magiging final ruling ng Korte Suprema na tumutugon sa motion for reconsideration ng Kamara tungkol sa impeachment complaint laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte.
Sa panayam sa radyo nitong Sabado, ipinunto ni Lacson na karamihan sa kanyang kasamahan ng bumoto para i-archive ang impeachment complaint ang mismong nagsabing kailangang galangin ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema.
“Let’s put it this way. I’m hoping against hope irerespeto nila ang ruling ng Supreme Court, ang final ruling addressing or resolving the motion for reconsideration. Kasi kung ganoon pa rin ang kanilang boto pag nag-explain kami ng boto namin ibabalik ko sa kanila iko-quote ko ang kanilang sinabi sa explanation of votes, halos lahat sila sinasabing respetuhin natin, igalang natin ang ruling ng Korte Suprema,” aniya sa DWIZ, nang tinanong kung anong mangyayari kung binaligtad ng Korte Suprema ang unang ruling nito.
Aniya, ito ang dahilan kung bakit siya nag-abstain sa pagboto sa motion na i-archive ang kaso – dahil ang paninindigan niya ay respetuhin at hindi sumuway Hulyo 25 ruling ng Korte Suprema, at hindi niya nais ma-preempt ito dahil mayroon pang pending na motion for reconsideration.
Dagdag ni Lacson, kung bumoto man siya, baka na-preempt niya ang final ruling ng Korte Suprema.
Ayon din kay Lacson, nag-utos ang Korte Suprema sa kampo ni Vice President Duterte na magkomento sa motion for reconsideration, sa halip na maglabas ng minute resolution na binabasura ito.
“Ibig sabihin, sabihin na nating gusto nilang ma-review din based on the merit ng pinresent ng SolGen baka may nasilip sila doon na oo nga mag-review tayo parang may punto dito. I’m just speculating pero hindi every day nangyayari ang unanimous na nga ang decision, pagkukumentahin pa ,” aniya.
Punto rin ni Lacson, sana ay hindi muna umakto ang Senado sa unang ruling ng Korte Suprema kahit na immediately executory ito, lalo na at may pending motion for reconsideration ngayon.
“Kung wala kaming gagalawin paano kami mag-violate sa immediately executory kung wala kaming galaw? Nagko-comply kami, nag-adhere kami. Yang archive di kami sumunod sa final decision kasi wala pa, pine-preempt namin. Pine-preempt namin whatever final decision na gagawin, ina-assume namin siguradong ide-deny ang motion? Hindi pa natin alam yan. Bakit tayo nag-archive na? Bakit tayo nag-dismiss na? Kaya kinwestyon ko,” aniya.
Sa ngayon, maaaring sabihing “patay” ang impeachment complaint pero pwede pa ring buhayin, dahil pwede pa itong ilabas sa archives kahit na magkakaroon muli ng debate at pagboboto.
Samantala, hindi sang-ayon si Lacson sa patutsada ng ilang kasamahan niya sa Kamara noong botohan noong Miyerkules.
“Ang magsasabi kong may violation ng inter-parliamentary courtesy, ang mayorya sa amin. Pero kung tatanungin opinion ko, hindi na kailangan yan. Ang pinaguusapan namin ang legality. Wag na sana tayo mag-inject ng mga talunin nyo na lang sa 2028. Di naman kasama sa usapan yan,” aniya.
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