Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday commended his fellow senator-judges for maintaining their composure during what he described as the lengthy “lectures” of one of their colleagues in the first two days of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a post on X, Lacson praised his colleagues for exercising restraint and not engaging a fellow senator-judge who, he said, had been repeatedly lecturing them since the trial began on Monday.
He did not identify the colleague he was referring to.
“Day 3: I commend my fellow senator-judges for keeping our cool and not engaging a colleague who has been lecturing us since Day 1 of the impeachment trial, as if being not members of the bar, we will be less judicious in rendering fair judgment,” Lacson said.
Lacson also said the issue of the 16-vote threshold needed to convict the Vice President had already been clarified after Presiding Officer Francis Escudero made a ruling on Monday.
He said any party who believes the impeachment court committed grave abuse of discretion may elevate the matter to the Supreme Court.
Lacson said the issue has become a justiciable controversy, or a dispute that the Supreme Court may have the legal authority to try and resolve.
“Now that it is settled and clear that the issue is a justiciable issue or controversy, any party that wishes to question it before the Supreme Court if they believe the Impeachment Court committed grave abuse of discretion can do so,” he added.
During the second day of the trial, Lacson asked Escudero to clarify whether the 16-vote threshold for Duterte’s conviction was merely a legal opinion or a ruling of the impeachment court.
Lacson said he agrees with the view that 16 votes are required for conviction, given that the Senate has 24 members under the 20th Congress.
He noted that detained Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, as well as Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who is in hiding anew due to an International Criminal Court warrant of arrest, remain members of the Senate.
“I agree with the view that 16 votes are needed to convict because even if there are senators who are detained and in hiding, they are still considered senators in the 20th Congress,” he added.