Tag: Mayor Sara Duterte

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Lacson Suggests Way for Detained Senators to Serve as Senator Judges at Impeachment Trial

To help ensure sufficient participation of senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson proposed on Sunday a mechanism that would allow senators detained in connection with the flood control scandal to perform their duties during the proceedings.

Lacson said that while the composition of the Impeachment Court is the same as that of the Senate, the detention and preventive suspension of senators over the flood control mess may apply only to their function as legislators, as the Impeachment Court and Senate are separate entities.

“It is worth studying that while the Impeachment Court and Senate have the same composition, and this is subject to interpretation if it comes to that, the two are separate entities and the suspension of senators applies to their legislative functions and not to their duties as Senator Judges,” he said in English and Filipino in an interview on DZBB radio.

In Filipino: Lacson, Nagmungkahi ng Paraan para Makapaglingkod Bilang Senator-Judges ang mga Nakadetineng Senador sa Impeachment Trial

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Comity vs Enmity at the Debates on the OVP’s Budget

Comity vs enmity: By tradition and in observance of the time-honored comity between the executive and legislative branches of government, the proposed budgets of the two highest elected officials simply go through the formalities of a quorum call, acknowledgement of resource persons and budget presentations. Thereafter, a properly seconded motion recommending plenary action is put into a vote forthwith by the chairperson who will eventually defend the budget before his/her peers.

The enmity between VP Sara Duterte and the designated sponsor, Cong Stella Quimbo, makes the ensuing floor debates on the budget of the OVP an interesting watch.

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On the Urgency for Congress to Refile and Pass the ‘Designated Survivor’ Bill

Image courtesy: House of Representatives

On July 22, the President will deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA). The Senate President will be there, and so is the Speaker of the House. Including the Vice President, the line of succession stops at the House Speaker.

Without passing judgement on the ability of our country’s security forces to do their job well – God forbid – if the 2007 bombing of Batasang Pambansa that killed Basilan Congressman Wahab Akbar and a staffer of Gabriela party-list Rep Luzviminda Ilagan would happen again with the direst of consequences, without an enabling law to comply with Sections 7 and 8, Art VII of the 1987 Constitution, we will have a leadership vacuum and a constitutional crisis.

This is exactly the reason why I filed Senate Bill No. 982 in August 2019. I hope it can be refiled and passed by the present Congress.

God bless the Philippines.

*****

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Lacson says Designated Survivor Bill a constitutional mandate [Inquirer]

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer: Former Sen. Ping Lacson said passage of the “Designated Survivor” bill is still necessary, citing a constitutional mandate to appoint a “designated survivor” since the line of succession ends with the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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On the Vice President as ‘Designated Survivor’

This is a rhetorical statement but a good soundbite nevertheless. She is the constitutional successor to the President not needing an appointment as the designated survivor, which by the way is still a pending legislative measure in Congress.

Not only is it a serious matter. The 1987 Constitution actually provides that Congress pass a law in this regard. And for good reason – the line of succession stops at the Speaker of the House of Representatives. God forbid, under an extremely exceptional event that a terrorist attack had wiped out all the 4 highest elected officials, we could have a leadership, hence a constitutional crisis.

In August 2019, I filed Senate Bill 982 to extend the line of succession beyond that of the Speaker. Unfortunately, the bill didn’t even reach the plenary debates in the Upper Chamber. Worse, its counterpart bill in the House (HB 4062) was withdrawn by its author.

Related: Lacson Files ‘Designated Survivor’ Bill to Ensure Gov’t Stability
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