Lacson Takes Pride in Blocking Motion to Dismiss VP Impeachment Case
August 7, 2025
Lacson Takes Pride in Blocking Motion to Dismiss VP Impeachment Case
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https://pinglacson.net/2025/08/07/lacson-takes-pride-in-blocking-motion-to-dismiss-vp-impeachment-case/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCRqstZ9sE0
Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson on Thursday took pride in having played a decisive role in stopping the outright dismissal of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte -- a move that would have dealt an irreversible blow to the proceedings.
Lacson made clear that while archiving the complaint renders the impeachment practically dead, it is better than dismissal which removes any means to resuscitate the impeachment should the Supreme Court reverse its decision.
"I take pride in being the one who played a major role in questioning the motion to dismiss. If the motion to dismiss had prevailed, the case would be moot and academic even if the Supreme Court reversed its decision," he said in Filipino in an interview on DZMM radio.
"I don't want to take part in proceedings that would effectively kill the Articles of Impeachment. It's like the Senate is preempting the Supreme Court. But I don't want to defy the Supreme Court's initial ruling that the complaint is unconstitutional either, so I abstained," he added.
Now that the case is only archived, he said it can be resuscitated although it will require a motion and new rounds of voting and debates.
On Wednesday night, Lacson was among five senators who voted to table or to suspend consideration of the motion to dismiss the impeachment complaint.
While the five lost in the voting, Lacson also questioned the motion to dismiss, and succeeded in having Sen. Rodante Marcoleta change his motion from dismissing the case to archiving it - thus allowing it to be resuscitated should the High Court reverse its earlier ruling that the complaint was unconstitutional.
"The implication of a motion to dismiss prevailing is that if the Supreme Court grants the House's motion for reconsideration, the Senate no longer has basis to act because it has dismissed the complaint and that is the bad thing," Lacson said.
He added such a scenario would also contradict the arguments of some senators in favor of dismissing the case that the Supreme Court's initial ruling must be respected.
"Now if the Supreme Court reverses its ruling, will those favoring the dismissal of the case respect it? I can throw their argument back at them by quoting their previous explanations," Lacson said.
Lacson also pointed out that the possibility of the Supreme Court reversing its ruling must not be discounted, since it had ordered the Vice President to comment on the House's impeachment appeal.
"This is not a common occurrence. Usually, the high court would just issue a one-sentence minute resolution denying the motion for reconsideration, but in this case, it ordered the Vice President to comment. What we must now look out for is its order for arguments - which means the Supreme Court is open to reconsidering or to review its decision," he said.
"The mere fact that the high court ordered the Vice President to comment on account of the motion for reconsideration filed by the House through the Solicitor General means there is still an opening. Marcoleta's claim that the possibility of the SC reversing its ruling is speculative is as speculative as his claim that it will not reverse its ruling," he added.
Lacson, Malaki ang Ambag sa Paghadlang sa Mosyon para I-Dismiss ang Impeachment Case ni VP Duterte
More at:
https://pinglacson.net/2025/08/07/lacson-takes-pride-in-blocking-motion-to-dismiss-vp-impeachment-case/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCRqstZ9sE0
Malaki ang ambag ni Sen. Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson sa pagharang sa pag-dismiss ng impeachment case laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte - na maaaring maging tiyak at mortal na dagok sa proseso.
Ani Lacson, bagama't "practically dead" ang impeachment complaint dahil archived na ito, mas mainam pa ito sa dismissal, kung saan mawawala ang anumang paraan para buhayin ang kaso kung sakaling binaligtad ng Korte Suprema ang desisyon nito.
"I take pride in being the one who played a major role in questioning the motion to dismiss. Kung halimbawa yan ang nanalo, wala tayong pinaguusapan. Sasabihin ng Senado, dismissed na yan, moot and academic, maski i-reverse ng Korte Suprema," aniya sa panayam sa DZMM.
"Kasi ayoko makihalo sa usapin na in-archive mo, effectively dead ang Articles of Impeachment, parang pinangunahan natin ang SC. Pero nandoon ako sa pagitan na kasi existing ang ruling na unconstitutional, walang jurisdiction ab initio, ayoko namang suwayin din yan kaya nag-abstain ako," dagdag niya.
Ngayong archived ang kaso, pwede itong "i-resuscitate" bagama't kailangan ng panibagong motion at ang panibagong motion pagbobotohan namin at pagdedebatehan bago magbotohan, ani Lacson.
Kabilang si Lacson sa limang senador na bumoto para i-table o suspendihin ang pagkonsidera ng motion to dismiss nitong Miyerkules ng gabi.
Bagama't natalo ang lima sa pagboto, nagtagumpay naman si Lacson sa pagkwestyon sa motion to dismiss ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, para baguhin niya ang mosyon mula dismissal sa archiving. Dahil archived ang kaso, maaari itong buhayin muli kung irekonsidera ng Korte Suprema ang unang ruling nito na unconstitutional ang complaint.
"Anong implication ng halimbawang nanalo sa botohan at malamang nanalo ang motion to dismiss? Pwedeng sabihin ng Senado halimbawa nag-rule ang Korte Suprema na granted ang motion for reconsideration ng Kamara, pwede mag-proceed ang Senado. Sasabihin ng kasamahan namin, moot and academic dinismiss na natin. Yan ang masama kasi dismissed na," ani Lacson.
Dagdag ni Lacson, ang ganitong scenario ay kontra sa argumento ng ilang senador na pabor sa pag-dismiss ng kaso na dapat respetuhin ang Korte Suprema.
"Ngayon kung ire-reverse pa ng SC ang kanilang ruling, irerespeto pa rin ba nila? Ibabalik ko sa kanila yan sa interpellation kung sakaling bumaligtad ang SC. Kukuha ako ng quotation sa kanilang explanations," ani Lacson.
Ipinunto din ni Lacson ang posibilidad na baligtarin ng Korte Suprema ang desisyon nito, dahil sa utos nito sa Bise Presidente na magkomento sa apela ng Kamara.
"Hindi rin karaniwang nangyayari yan. Sabi ko nga, pagka ganyan minute resolution lang yan eh, napakasimple, one sentence lang, denied, period, wala na. Pero ito pinako-comment. Ang abangan natin kung sakaling magtawag ng argument ang Korte Suprema, ibig sabihin bukas ang SC to reconsider or to review," aniya.
"The mere fact pinag-comment ang kabilang party on account of the MR filed by the House through the Solicitor General, may opening. Kaya ang sinasabi ni Sen Marcoleta na speculative na ire-reverse ng SC ang kanilang decision, e speculative din ang kanya na hindi ire-reverse," dagdag ni Lacson.
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