Lacson Swats Away Panelo’s Prejudgment of Impeachment Trial Votes

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson swatted away as “nonsensical” the prejudgment by ex-presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo on how he and other senators would vote should the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte reach the Senate.

Lacson particularly took issue with Panelo’s claim that he, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Senators Risa Hontiveros and Francis Pangilinan would vote to convict the Vice President.

“Why is Panelo trying to sound smarter than us? No one can speak on my behalf. And I have said this before – we’ll always be guided by the evidence. We haven’t reached the trial stage, why is he preempting us and calling us ‘pusakal/feral’?” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on Storycon on One News. “Is he a soothsayer? What if I say he’s a pusakal/feral soothsayer?”

“He isn’t just a feral dog. He’s an idiot,” Lacson said of Panelo.

In Filipino: Lacson, Tinaboy si Panelo sa ‘Prejudgment’ Nito sa Boto sa 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 Relinquishes Electoral Reform Committee Chairmanship

Citing his heavy workload, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson relinquished on Monday the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation to Sen. Ana Theresia “Risa” Hontiveros.

Lacson said he discussed the matter during the majority bloc’s caucus at noon, and that Hontiveros was amenable to taking over as chairperson of the committee.

In Filipino: Lacson, Binitawan ang Pamumuno sa Electoral Reform Committee

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Amid Deluge of ‘Isolated Cases,’ Lacson Pushes Agency Unity vs Collusion in Flood Control Projects

Amid a continued deluge of “isolated cases” of flood control projects, Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson pushed for coordination and cooperation among concerned government agencies to thwart the collusion behind substandard and ghost projects.

Lacson continues to validate new information he and his staff are receiving regarding corrupted flood control projects other than those he detailed in his privilege speech last Aug. 20.

“Isolated case here, isolated case there, isolated cases everywhere. Maybe we should start looking for an isolated case of a corrupt-free, properly implemented flood control project,” he said in a post on X Thursday.

In Filipino: Sa Gitna ng Baha ng mga ‘Isolated Cases,’ Itinulak ni Lacson ang Pagkakaisa ng mga Ahensya Laban sa Sabwatan sa Flood Control Projects

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Start of the 20th Congress

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Sen. Ping Lacson takes his oath at the start of the First Regular Session of the Senate in the 20th Congress on Monday, July 28. He will be part of the Senate’s conscience bloc along with Sen. Tito Sotto, Loren Legarda, Migz Zubiri, and Risa Hontiveros.