No action best move on VP Sara impeachment — Lacson

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday said the best course of action for the Senate in dealing with Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment would be to refrain from taking any steps while a motion for reconsideration (MR) is still pending before the Supreme Court (SC).

Lacson made the remarks after the Senate voted to transfer to the archives the articles of impeachment against Duterte, following the SC’s decision declaring her impeachment unconstitutional.

With 19 votes for, four against, and one abstention, the Senate archived the impeachment complaint.

“Ang pinakamagandang aksyon sana ng Senado ay walang aksyon. Kapag hindi kami nag-act, hindi kami sumusuway sa utos ng Korte Suprema na imeediately execuory, walang jurisdiction, unconstitutional etc,” Lacson told Super Radyo DzBB on Sunday.

(The best course of action for the Senate would be no action at all. By not acting, we are not defying the Supreme Court’s order declaring it immediately executory, lacking jurisdiction, and unconstitutional, etc.)

“Ang most respectful at saka best complaint dun sa order ng Korte Suprema, wala kaming gagawin. Kasi ‘pag hindi kami gumalaw, nag cocomply kami dun sa immediately executory at hindi naman pine-preempt yung pwede maging ruling ng SC,” he added.

(The most respectful and best response to the Supreme Court's order is to do nothing. By not taking any action, we are complying with the 'immediately executory' nature of the decision, without preempting whatever the final ruling of the Court may be.)

Lacson also explained that he abstained in the move to archive the impeachment complaint to respect the SC.

“'Yung pag-abstain, 'yun ang pinaka-compliant sa pagrespeto at pagsunod sa Korte Suprema. Gusto ko sumunod dun sa existing ruling. Pero ayoko namang i-preempt 'yung magiging final decision na hindi pa natin alam na pwedeng i-reverse pa ng SC, base dun sa MR na inihain ng House,” the senator said.

(Abstaining is the most compliant way to show respect and adherence to the Supreme Court. I want to follow the existing ruling, but I also don’t want to preempt the SC’s final decision, which could still be reversed based on the motion for reconsideration filed by the House.)

“Ayoko silang i-preempt, pero ayoko rin silang disobey dahil may existing ruling na dapat sundin,” he added.

(I don’t want to preempt them but I also do not want disobey because there is an existing rule that must be followed.)

If SC reverses decision

Should the SC’s decision be reversed, Lacson said he and Senate Minority Leader Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will move to pull out the impeachment case from the archives.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Lacson said he will remind the senators of their votes in archiving the impeachment.

"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," Lacson said.

On Friday, the Koalisyong Makabayan filed a joint motion for reconsideration calling for the SC to reverse its decision junking the impeachment case against Duterte.

In a separate statement on Sunday, Sotto said he believes that the senators who are in favor of archiving Duterte’s case would follow the SC should it reverses its decision.  

“I doubt it. Most of my colleagues voted to archive acted as such because of the SC decision. Therefore, if the SC decision reverses, then it's logical that we address the Articles of Impeachment. It's either that or my colleagues lied, which I doubt,” Sotto said. — RF, GMA Integrated News