Tag: Supreme Court

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Lacson: Rule of Law Must be Respected in SC Ruling on VP Duterte’s Impeachment Case

The Supreme Court’s ruling on the unconstitutionality of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case must be accepted and respected, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Friday.

Lacson said this is a matter of respecting the rule of law, as he pointed out that his sentiment would have been the same even if the high court ruled otherwise.

“Agree or disagree, right or wrong, just or unjust, faultless or defective – we must accept and respect the SC ruling on the unconstitutionality of VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment case. They are not called the ‘gods of Padre Faura’ for nothing,” he said on his X account.

“This is not about politics or who gains or loses. If the SC ruling went the other way, my sentiment would be the same. Simply put, it is about respecting the rule of law,” he added.

In FIlipino: Lacson: Rule of Law Dapat Igalang sa SC Ruling sa Impeachment Case ni VP Duterte

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Lacson ‘Hoping Against Hope’ that Fellow Senators to Respect SC’s Final Ruling on VP Impeachment

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is “hoping against hope” that his colleagues in the Senate will respect the Supreme Court’s final ruling addressing the House of Representatives’ motion for reconsideration on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a radio interview Saturday, Lacson noted that the majority of his colleagues who voted to archive the impeachment complaint had cited the need to respect and obey the high court’s ruling.

“Let’s put it this way. I’m hoping against hope they will respect the final ruling of the Supreme Court addressing the motion for reconsideration. Because if the high court reverses its ruling and they stick to their vote, I will remind them that in their vote to archive the complaint, they invoked respect for the high court,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DWIZ radio, when asked about what would happen if the Supreme Court reversed its ruling.

In Filipino: Lacson, ‘Hoping Against Hope’ na Rerespetuhin ng Kapwa Senador ang Final Ruling ng SC sa VP Impeachment

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Lacson Debunks Insinuations of ‘Playing Safe’ on VP Impeachment Case

“I did not ‘play safe.’ Rather, I am acting out of respect for the Supreme Court.”

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson thus debunked such insinuations from some groups after he abstained from voting on the motion to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

On Wednesday evening, Lacson had pointed out that his abstention stemmed from the still-pending motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives through the Solicitor General, to appeal the high court’s decision ruling the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional.

“So I did not play safe. I followed the Supreme Court and I do not want to preempt it because it has not issued a final decision,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on One PH. “I abstained out of respect for the Supreme Court.”

In Filipino: Lacson, Pinabulaanan ang Alegasyong ‘Playing Safe’ sa VP Impeachment Case

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Lacson Takes Pride in Blocking Motion to Dismiss VP Impeachment Case

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Thursday took pride in having played a decisive role in stopping the outright dismissal of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte — a move that would have dealt an irreversible blow to the proceedings.

Lacson made clear that while archiving the complaint renders the impeachment practically dead, it is better than dismissal which removes any means to resuscitate the impeachment should the Supreme Court reverse its decision.

“I take pride in being the one who played a major role in questioning the motion to dismiss. If the motion to dismiss had prevailed, the case would be moot and academic even if the Supreme Court reversed its decision,” he said in Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.

“I don’t want to take part in proceedings that would effectively kill the Articles of Impeachment. It’s like the Senate is preempting the Supreme Court. But I don’t want to defy the Supreme Court’s initial ruling that the complaint is unconstitutional either, so I abstained,” he added.

In Filipino: Lacson, Malaki ang Ambag sa Paghadlang sa Mosyon para I-Dismiss ang Impeachment Case ni VP Duterte

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Sen. Lacson’s Abstention and Manifestations on VP Duterte Impeachment

Without the words “immediately executory” and the phrase on 25 July 2025 which held among others that the Articles of Impeachment are null and void ab initio and that the Senate did not acquire jurisdiction over the same, I would have voted in favor of the amended motion because I have always maintained that we must respect and not disobey the Supreme Court.

But since there is still a pending motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives through the Solicitor General, I believe that the July 25 ruling is by no means final, until it rules on the motion for reconsideration with finality.

That being said, I would rather wait, not preempt, the final ruling of the High Court.

It is for these reasons that I abstain, Mr. President.

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