After the Senate itself emerged as the biggest casualty of last Wednesday’s shooting incident, senators must now do what is right to restore its dignity, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.
Lacson said a positive step forward is the Senate’s planned convening into an impeachment court for the case of Vice President Sara Duterte, adding irresponsible insinuations from some senators must end.
“We landed in the international news for the wrong reasons. It was ugly – the shooting in the Philippine Senate as breaking news. So it is time to recover. The word Senate stems from the word ‘senatus’ meaning wise, mature men. So moving forward, we must do what is right and not show immaturity that will worsen the situation,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on True FM.
“As senators we henceforth must self-reflect individually and collectively to perform our duty,” he added. “Moving forward, our focus should be to redeem the Senate from its present situation.”
In Filipino: Lacson: Oras na para Gawin ang Tama at Ibalik ang Dignidad ng Senado
Lacson said one positive step is Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s announcement that the Senate will convene as an impeachment court this coming Monday.
He said the Constitution itself mandates that the Senate convene into an impeachment court forthwith after receiving the Articles of Impeachment from the House, although the trial itself may be held after the preliminary processes are completed.
“That’s one good first step because it is clear in the Constitution,” he said.
Insinuations
Lacson rejected the unfair and malicious insinuations by some majority bloc senators against the minority bloc – including that they left the Senate early because they knew something would happen.
“It is an unfair and malicious insinuation that we in the minority bloc went home early and left them behind because we knew something would happen. That is quite far from the truth. There is no basis for that because no one knew what would happen that night,” he said.
Asked who made the insinuations, Lacson said they included Senate President Cayetano and Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Marcos.
Lacson called out Sen. Marcos as well for insinuating that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered dela Rosa’s arrest at all cost, saying the Senate would have been assaulted and there would have been casualties if the order were true.
“Categorically, no. Such instructions would be impossible. If they were true, the Senate would have been assaulted and there would be casualties. It is quite far from the truth – and even an irresponsible one from Sen. Marcos,” he said.
Lacson likewise noted that while Cayetano claimed the Senate was “under attack” at the time, Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) head Mao Aplasca had admitted firing the first warning shot.
“If you are under attack, the attacker should have fired first. On the contrary, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms had actually admitted to having fired first,” he said.
“Let’s just wait for the results of the investigation based on facts – the CCTV and witnesses’ testimonies. Let’s wait for the outcome of the probe,” he added.
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Lacson: Oras na para Gawin ang Tama at Ibalik ang Dignidad ng Senado
Matapos naging pinakamalaking casualty ang Senado sa naganap na pamamaril sa gusali nito noong Miyerkules, panahon na para gawin ng mga senador ang tama upang maibalik ang dignidad ng institusyon, ani Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes.
Ayon kay Lacson, isang positibong hakbang pasulong ang nakatakdang pag-convene ng Senado bilang impeachment court para sa kaso ni Vice President Sara Duterte, kasabay ng panawagang dapat nang itigil ang mga iresponsableng pahayag at paratang mula sa ilang senador.
“Nasa international news tayo for the wrong reasons. Napakapangit ng nangyayari. Noon pa lang breaking news sa CNN, ‘shooting in the Philippine Senate.’ Negative na kaagad. So ang sinasabi ko mag-recover, from hereon siguro, senatus, ang word na pinanggalingan ng Senate, wise mature men. So dapat moving forward gawin namin lahat na tama. Huwag kaming magpakita ng parang immaturity para further guluhin ang situation,” aniya sa panayam sa True FM.
“Henceforth mag-self-reflect kami individually and collectively para henceforth maging guideline sa pag-perform ng aming duty,” dagdag niya. “Moving forward, bilang senador, ang focus siguro namin ngayon, ma-redeem ang Senado sa kinalalagyan namin ngayon.”
Sinabi rin ni Lacson na isang magandang unang hakbang ang anunsyo ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano na magpupulong ang Senado bilang impeachment court sa darating na Lunes.
Ayon sa kanya, malinaw sa Konstitusyon na obligasyon ng Senado na mag-convene bilang impeachment court kaagad matapos matanggap ang Articles of Impeachment mula sa Kamara, bagama’t maaaring idaos ang paglilitis matapos ang mga paunang proseso.
“That’s one good first step na tama ang aming gagawin kasi maliwanag sa Constitution,” aniya.
Mga Paratang
Tinuligsa rin ni Lacson ang tinawag niyang hindi makatarungan at malisyosong paratang mula sa ilang senador ng mayorya laban sa minorya, kabilang ang alegasyong umalis sila nang maaga dahil may alam silang may mangyayari sa gabing iyon.
“Sa amin napaka unfair ang insinuation na ginawa kaagad ng aming kasamahan namin sa majority na alam naming may mangyayari. Nilahat nga kami. Kaya kami umuwi ng maaga sila naiwan doon, parang iniwanan namin sila sa ere. Malayong malayo sa katotohanan ang pahayag na yan at napaka-unfair at masyado siyang malisyoso. Wala silang basehan para sabihing umalis kami ng sadya para iligtas ang sarili namin at sila iwanan sa Senado. Walang nakakaalam na magkakaroon ng gulo,” aniya.
Nang tinanong kung sino ang gumawa ng naturang paratang, sinabi ni Lacson na kabilang dito sina Cayetano at Sen. Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios “Imee” Marcos.
Binatikos din niya si Sen. Marcos sa pahayag nitong inutusan umano ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na iparesto si Dela Rosa “at all cost,” at sinabing kung totoo ito ay mauuwi sana sa paglusob sa Senado at posibleng pagkakaroon ng mga biktima.
“Categorically, no. Imposibleng mangyari yan kasi kung ganun ang instruction di ganun ang nangyari, talagang nilusob ang buong Senado at masaktan ang sinong masaktan. Kaya napakalayo sa katotohanan at napakairesponsable ang pahayag ni Sen. Marcos,” ani Lacson.
Binanggit din ni Lacson na habang sinabi ni Cayetano na “under attack” ang Senado, inamin naman ni Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca na may naunang warning shot.
“Pag under attack ikaw ang pinaputukan at gumanti ka ng putok, so yun lang magpapatotoo na hindi under attack ang Senado,” aniya.
Nanawagan siya ng pasensya habang nagpapatuloy ang imbestigasyon, at iginiit na dapat ay batay lamang sa ebidensya gaya ng CCTV at testimonya ng mga saksi ang magiging konklusyon.
“Ang sa akin lang hintayin natin ang ginagawang investigation, based sa facts, CCTV, merong testimony na makukuha sa eyewitnesses accounts. Doon na lang tayo manalig at abangan natin ang lalabas sa investigation,” dagdag niya.
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