Including foreign conflicts under “force majeure” to justify remote participation and voting in Senate proceedings would be an “unforced error,” Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Thursday.
Lacson referred to a social media post by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who asked if war in the Middle East and the conflict between China and Taiwan were not force majeure.
“Hindi po ito ‘force majeure’. Iyan po ay ‘UNFORCED ERROR’ (This is not force majeure. This is an unforced error),” Lacson said in a post on X.
In Filipino: Lacson: Pagsama ng Digmaan sa Ibayong Dagat bilang ‘Force Majeure’ para Ma-Justify ang Remote Voting, ‘Unforced Error’
Earlier, Lacson said a move to allow senators’ online participation and possible remote voting would not likely succeed as the Senate rules allow virtual participation only during force majeure and time of national emergency.
Under the Senate’s rules, he said remote participation is allowed only in unexpected or uncontrollable circumstances or emergencies that prevent senators from attending sessions physically.
Meanwhile, Lacson said the Senate minority bloc will continue debating and raising questions over the majority bloc’s bid to allow online participation in Senate proceedings – including remote voting – and may seek intervention from the Supreme Court as a last resort.
“We’ll keep debating, asking questions, interpellating, and introducing amendments if it comes to that. If they disregard Section 24 and insist on Section 136 of the Rules of the Senate and divide the house and we lose the voting, so be it,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.
“If the majority commits grave abuse of discretion, we’ll have the option to bring the case before the Supreme Court,” he added.
Last Tuesday, Lacson questioned the majority bloc’s move to tackle and vote in plenary a motion introduced by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta allowing online participation in Senate proceedings, saying it runs contrary to the Rules of the Senate and the chamber’s committee system.
He said Section 24 of the Rules of the Senate applies in the case of Marcoleta’s motion – that the committees shall discuss, decide and submit a report on all matters referred to them – since such motion has already been referred to the Committee on Rules, which has not been constituted as there is no chairman and members in the wake of a leadership change last May 11.
Also, he said Section 136 cited by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano – where the rules may be amended through a motion presented at least a day before consideration – does not apply because there was already a referral of the motion to the Committee on Rules.
Lacson said the Supreme Court may step in when matters involving grave abuse of discretion committed by any officer, agency or department of the government are brought before it.
“So the Supreme Court can enter the picture if there is a grave abuse of discretion. The other option for the Supreme Court is not to step in because it will not interfere in our internal rules. But that is our final option, if Rule 136 is forced on us – which to us is unacceptable,” Lacson said.
On the other hand, Lacson said the minority is not ruling out another walkout from the session if the circumstances warrant it. He noted the minority’s walkout and absence on the floor last Tuesday allowed minority leader Vicente Sotto III to remain and move to adjourn the session for the day due to lack of quorum.
“The majority cannot force the adoption of a motion without quorum. So we may also do that again – the minority leader will be left on the floor to question the quorum, a repeat of what happened last Tuesday,” he said.
Lacson also debunked claims that the motion introduced by Marcoleta for remote voting is similar to the situation of former Sen. Leila de Lima, saying a resolution he co-authored with then Sen. Drilon allowing her to participate in committee hearings and plenary sessions did not include allowing her to remotely vote.
“That’s all there was to it. Participate. Hindi kasama she can vote,” he said.
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Lacson: Pagsama ng Digmaan sa Ibayong Dagat bilang ‘Force Majeure’ para Ma-Justify ang Remote Voting, ‘Unforced Error’
Ang pagsasama ng mga sigalot sa ibang bansa sa ilalim ng “force majeure” upang bigyang-katwiran ang remote na pagdalo at pagboto sa mga pagdinig ng Senado ay isang “unforced error,” ayon kay Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Huwebes.
Tinukoy ni Lacson ang isang post sa social media ni Sen. Robinhood Padilla, na nagtanong kung ang digmaan sa Gitnang Silangan at ang sigalot sa pagitan ng Tsina at Taiwan ay hindi ba maituturing na force majeure.
“Hindi po ito ‘force majeure’. Iyan po ay ‘UNFORCED ERROR’ (This is not force majeure. This is an unforced error),” ani Lacson sa post sa X.
Nauna rito, sinabi ni Lacson na ang hakbang na magpapahintulot sa online na partisipasyon ng mga senador at posibleng remote voting ay malamang na hindi magtatagumpay, dahil sa ilalim ng mga patakaran ng Senado, pinapayagan lamang ang virtual na partisipasyon kapag may force majeure at national emergency.
Ayon sa mga alituntunin ng Senado, aniya, ang remote na pagdalo ay pinapayagan lamang sa mga hindi inaasahan o hindi makontrol na mga pangyayari o emerhensiya na humahadlang sa pisikal na pagdalo ng mga senador sa mga sesyon.
Samantala, iginiit ni Lacson na itutuloy ng minority bloc ng Senado ang pagdebate at pagtatanong sa hakbang ng majority bloc na payagan ang online participation sa mga proceeding ng Senado — kabilang ang remote voting — at maaaring humingi ng interbensyon mula sa Korte Suprema.
“We’ll keep debating, asking questions, interpellating, and introduce amendments, if it comes to that. If they disregard Section 24 and insist nandoon tayo sa Section 136 and divide the house and matatalo kami sa botohan, so be it,” aniya sa panayam sa Headstart sa ANC.
“Kung talagang pilitin nila (at may grave abuse of discretion), probably minority members will have the option to bring the case before the Supreme Court,” dagdag niya.
Noong Martes, kinuwestiyon ni Lacson ang hakbang ng majority bloc na talakayin at ipaboto sa plenaryo ang mosyong inihain ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta na nagpapahintulot sa online participation sa mga pagdinig ng Senado, dahil taliwas umano ito sa Rules of the Senate at sa committee system ng kapulungan.
Aniya, umiiral sa kaso ng mosyon ni Marcoleta ang Section 24 ng Rules of the Senate, na nagsasaad na dapat talakayin, pagpasiyahan, at lagyan ng ulat ng mga komite ang lahat ng bagay na isinasangguni sa kanila – dahil ang mosyon ay na-refer na sa Committee on Rules, na hindi pa na-constitute dahil wala pa itong chairman at mga miyembro matapos ang pagbabago sa liderato noong Mayo 11.
Dagdag niya, hindi maaaring gamitin ang Section 136 na binanggit ni Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano — kung saan maaaring amyendahan ang mga patakaran sa pamamagitan ng mosyong inihain isang araw bago ito talakayin — dahil nairefer na ang mosyon sa Committee on Rules.
Sinabi rin ni Lacson na maaaring pumasok ang Korte Suprema kapag may grave abuse of discretion sa kaso na sangkot ang opisyal o ahensya ng pamahalaan.
“Pwedeng gawin ng SC yan… That’s the only reason why the SC would enter the picture, kasi may grave abuse of discretion. The other option for the Supreme Court is not to step in, to say wala kaming pakialam sa internal rules ninyo. But yan ang final option namin. kung talagang pilitin kami to implement ang ganung klaseng rule which to us is unacceptable,” ani Lacson.
Sinabi rin ni Lacson na hindi isinasantabi ng minority ang posibilidad ng panibagong walkout mula sa sesyon kung kakailanganin ng sitwasyon. Aniya, ang walkout at pagkawala ng minority sa plenaryo noong nakaraang Martes ang nagbigay-daan upang manatili si Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III at magmosyon na i-adjourn ang sesyon dahil sa kakulangan ng quorum.
“Hindi nila mapilit sa floor ma-adopt ang resolution kung walang quorum. Ganoon din ang gagawin namin, maiwan ang minority leader, a repeat of what happened last Tuesday,” aniya.
Pinasinungalingan din ni Lacson ang mga pahayag na katulad umano ng sitwasyon ni dating Sen. Leila de Lima ang mosyong inihain ni Marcoleta para sa remote voting. Ipinaliwanag niya na ang resolusyong kapwa nila inakda noon ni dating Sen. Franklin Drilon na nagpapahintulot kay De Lima na lumahok sa committee hearings at plenary sessions ay hindi kasama ang remote voting.
“That’s all there was to it. Participate. Hindi kasama she can vote,” aniya.
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