Sotto's Senate leadership secure as Sara Duterte impeachment trial looms — Lacson

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson on Saturday said there is no threat to the leadership of Senate President Vicente Sotto III in the upper chamber amid the impending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement, Lacson said he and Sotto have started taking "crash courses" or briefings on legal matters—such as the Rules of Court and Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure—to prepare for the possible transmission of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.

"Impeachment trial or no impeachment trial, there's always the possibility of an attempt at leadership change. That will not go away. Such plots are usually hatched during session breaks," the senator said.

"At least to my knowledge, the majority bloc is solid because Senate President Sotto is leading well," he added.

The senator, meanwhile, said he advised Sotto to prepare for possible attempts by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, a staunch Duterte ally, to block the impeachment trial by questioning its basis.

"The answer to Marcoleta's threat lies in one word: Constitution," Lacson said, noting that senators have a constitutional duty to proceed as senator-judges in an impeachment trial. 

Last Wednesday, several members of the House justice committee expressed belief that there is probable cause to impeach Duterte on allegations of misuse of confidential funds.

The lawmakers cited what they believe are strong bases to bring the impeachment to the Senate, including the pronouncement of the Commission on Audit that the Notice of Disallowance for the P73 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President in 2022 has been affirmed, as well as issuance of the Notices of Disallowance for the confidential funds in the first, second, and third quarter of 2023.

For its upcoming hearing on April 22, the committee intends to tackle allegations of Duterte's unexplained wealth, using bank transactions expected to be submitted by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). — VDV, GMA News