MANILA, Philippines — Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III vowed to revive the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte should the Supreme Court (SC)
Senators Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III vowed to revive the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte should the Supreme Court (SC) reverse its ruling declaring unconstitutional the articles of impeachment transmitted to the Senate by the House of Representatives.
“Hypothetically, if the SC decision is reversed, I and Senator Sotto will move to pull out the case from the archives and discuss it,” Lacson said in an interview on radio dzBB.
“If someone objects and we lose in the voting, I will recall their explanation in archiving the impeachment, during the 19-4-1 voting. 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,” Lacson pointed out.
But in the end, he said, the majority vote will prevail “because that’s the essence of democracy.”
On Aug. 6, with 19 votes for, four against, and Lacson’s own abstention, the Senate decided to archive the articles of impeachment against Duterte following the SC’s decision declaring her impeachment unconstitutional.
Lacson said he did not “play safe” when he abstained, stressing that he acted out of respect for the Supreme Court.
He debunked such insinuations from some groups as he pointed out that his abstention stemmed from the still-pending motion for reconsideration filed by the House through the Solicitor General appealing the high court’s decision.
Lacson noted that the SC had ordered the Vice President to comment on the motion for reconsideration, instead of a minute resolution dismissing it.
