Tag: DWIZ

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Lacson: Signing of BRC Partial Report Should be Guided by Sense of Duty, Not Pakikisama

The signing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s partial report on the flood control mess should be guided by a sense of duty and not “pakikisama” or peer pressure, Senate President Pro Tempore and Blue Ribbon Chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson emphasized Saturday.

Lacson said senators must be swayed not by political affiliations or bloc lines but by their responsibilities as members of the Blue Ribbon committee when deciding whether to sign the partial report.

“For me, it doesn’t matter if you are in the majority or minority bloc, so long as you follow what is right. Otherwise, you will be blind if you claim that you won’t sign something from the majority because you are from the minority,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio.

“If you are a senator, you must have your own convictions, not follow the convictions of your colleagues,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Tungkulin, Hindi Pakikisama, ang Gabay sa Paglagda sa BRC Partial Flood Control Report

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Lacson: No Threat to Sotto-Led Senate Leadership Amid Possible Impeachment Trial

There is no threat to the Senate leadership under Senate President Vicente Sotto III amid the prospect of an impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson also said he and Sotto have started taking “crash courses” or briefings on legal matters – such as the Rules of Court and Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure – to prepare for the possible transmission of the impeachment case to the Senate.

“Impeachment trial or no impeachment trial, there’s always the possibility of an attempt at leadership change. That will not go away. Such plots are usually hatched during session breaks,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio.

“At least to my knowledge, the majority bloc is solid because Senate President Sotto is leading well,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson: Walang Banta sa Liderato ni Sotto sa Gitna ng Posibleng Impeachment Trial

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Lacson Eyes Senators’ Dialogue with Chinese Embassy on WPS Row

Now that Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan has expressed willingness to sit down with Philippine leaders to ease the word war between Chinese diplomats and Philippine officials, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is open to initiating a dialogue between the Senate and the Chinese Embassy.

Lacson, who described Ambassador Jing’s statement as a “pleasant surprise,” said Saturday afternoon he will propose to Senate President Vicente Sotto III that the Senate invite the Chinese diplomats to a meeting or a dialogue.

“I will suggest to the Senate President that the dialogue include at least members of the Senate majority. The minority can send their representatives to take part,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino, in an interview on DWIZ radio.

“To me, that’s a good opening we should consider and we should grab the opportunity to initiate such talks. We can meet at the Senate, or the embassy grounds, or a neutral area. It would be good to sit down and discuss what needs to be discussed. After all, we have diplomatic ties with China. We even have a One China Policy,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Nais Magka-Dayalogo ang mga Senador at Chinese Embassy sa Isyu ng WPS

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Lacson: Senators Facing Charges Before ICC Should Have Chance to Avail of Legal Remedies

Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go should have all chances to avail of legal remedies amid the charges they now face before the International Criminal Court, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson also said the local Philippine courts must be respected in whatever course of action the ICC may take regarding the two senators, who it named as co-perpetrators in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

“I think they should have the chance to avail of all legal options, because our local courts and processes must be respected. If there is an arrest warrant from the ICC or a foreign court, it should go through our local court, which will issue a corresponding order to implement the foreign entity’s arrest warrant,” Lacson said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on DWIZ, when asked if the two should have the chance to avail of all legal remedies.

In Filipino: Lacson: Dapat Mabigyan ng Pagkakataon si Sen. Bato at Go na Gamitin ang Legal Remedies sa Pagharap sa Kaso sa ICC

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Lacson: Proper Implementation to be Next Major Challenge of 2026 Budget

May the force be with us.

On this note, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed that public vigilance on the 2026 budget must not stop at its approval and signing into law but must continue through its implementation.

Lacson said late Saturday that while religious and civil society groups monitored the bicameral debates on the crafting of the budget bill, their next challenge is to guard how the executive branch spends taxpayers’ money in 2026.

“The same vigilance showed by the public led by the Catholic Church, religious groups and civil society organizations must be maintained in watching over the budget’s implementation. Our people must not let down their guard because the 2026 budget will show if there is indeed reform for our government and our nation. We must learn from the lessons of corruption in the budgets of 2025 and prior years,” he said in Filipino and English in an interview on DWIZ radio.

In Filipino: Lacson: Wastong Implementasyon ang Susunod na Malaking Hamon ng 2026 Budget

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