A move to allow online participation not only for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio but to allow Sen. Ronald de la Rosa to participate and vote remotely in the plenary voting on motions – including the change of the Senate leadership and committee chairmanships – will likely fail, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.
Lacson said the Senate’s rules allow virtual participation only during force majeure or unexpected and uncontrollable circumstances, or during emergencies such as the Covid pandemic.
“Hindi lulusot. At saka maantala kami pag binago namin ang rules on impeachment (Such a move won’t succeed. And it might delay us if we have to change the rules of the impeachment court),” he said in an interview on True FM.
In Filipino: Lacson: Panukalang Online Participation sa Impeachment Trial ng VP, Hindi Papasa
“Even sa rules ng Senado hindi rin pupwede. Ang umiiral na rules pag may force majeure or emergency tulad ng Covid noong panahon ng Covid pinayagan namin yan, di kami maka-session kung may lockdown (Even the Senate rules do not allow such remote participation. Under the Senate rules, it is allowed only in the event of a force majeure or emergency like Covid. During Covid, we had to resort to remote participation because of the lockdown),” he added.
Lacson noted there is still no decision on Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s motion to allow online participation in the Senate plenary session and impeachment trial, which is expected to benefit Sen. dela Rosa.
Such a motion is “invalid” because the Senate would need to amend its rules and go through proper procedures.
Also, Lacson said that if Marcoleta’s move were for the impeachment court, it will have to be decided in the impeachment court, whose rules and procedures are different from those in the Senate.
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Lacson: Panukalang Online Participation sa Impeachment Trial ng VP, Hindi Papasa
Malabong papasa ang panukalang payagan ang online participation sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio at para pwedeng makilahok at bumoto nang virtual si Sen. Ronald dela Rosa sa plenary voting sa mga mosyon – kabilang ang Senate leadership at committee chairmanships, ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Biyernes.
Ayon kay Lacson, pinapayagan lamang ng mga patakaran ng Senado ang virtual participation sa ilalim ng force majeure o mga hindi inaasahan at hindi makontrol na sitwasyon, o sa mga emerhensiya tulad ng Covid.
“Hindi lulusot. At saka maantala kami pag binago namin ang rules on impeachment,” aniya sa panayam sa True FM.
“Even sa rules ng Senado hindi rin puwede. Ang umiiral na rules pag may force majeure or emergency tulad ng Covid noong panahon ng Covid pinayagan namin yan, di kami maka-session kung may lockdown,” dagdag niya
Binanggit din ni Lacson na wala pang desisyon sa mosyon ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta na payagan ang online participation sa plenary session ng Senado at sa impeachment trial, na inaasahang makikinabang si Sen. dela Rosa.
Ayon kay Lacson, “invalid” ang ganitong mosyon dahil kinakailangang amyendahan muna ang mga patakaran ng Senado at dumaan sa tamang proseso.
Dagdag pa niya, kung ang naturang hakbang ay para sa impeachment court, kailangang ito ay pagdesisyunan sa loob ng impeachment court mismo, na may hiwalay na mga patakaran at proseso mula sa Senado.
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