Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Friday that the Sandiganbayan’s denial of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s request to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could spare the Senate impeachment court from acting on a motion that might be seen as interfering with an ongoing judicial process.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano earlier asked the impeachment court to communicate with the Sandiganbayan to seek permission for detained senators Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta to participate in the trial in person.
Both senators are facing plunder charges.
“That would spare the Impeachment Court from acting on the pending motion of Senator-Judge Alan Cayetano for us to ask the Sandiganbayan to allow Senators Estrada (and Marcoleta) to participate in the impeachment trial, which may imply that we are interfering with an ongoing judicial process,” Lacson said.
“I believe we still have to discuss the matter among ourselves as it is just my humble opinion,” he added.
Cayetano filed the motion after presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero ruled Monday that 16 votes would be required to convict Duterte.
Cayetano argued that Estrada and Marcoleta should be allowed to attend the proceedings because their absence would effectively count as negative votes in determining whether the impeachment court could reach the required threshold for conviction.