Lacson rejects call for Senate to act on quo proceedings vs Sereno
Senator Panfilo Lacson joined some of his colleagues on Thursday in rejecting calls for the Senate to pass a resolution urging the Supreme Court to suspend the quo warranto petition proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Lacson said it would be “inappropriate” for the Senate to tell the SC what to do since the Constitution was clear about the separation of powers among the judiciary, legislative, and executive branches of government.
He said only the Supreme Court could determine if a co-equal branch of government has committed grave abuse of discretion.
He added that it is not right to criticize legislators because they are not doing anything to check the Supreme Court.
“No, we cannot do that, plain and simple. And we respect the separation of powers,” the senator said at the Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday. “As far as I’m concerned, I will not support such a resolution for the reason that I have already cited,” he said.
The SC is reportedly set to decide on the quo warranto petition filed against Sereno on May 11. And once a decision is made, Lacson said senators may have to hold a caucus to come up with a position.
“I’m sure we will conduct a caucus. Whatever the decision of the Supreme Court will be on May 11, I’m sure we will have a caucus para pagusapan namin kung anong gagawin ng Senate (to discuss what we need to do at the Senate) ,” he said.
Congress is on recess and will resume sessions on May 15.
Aside from Lacson, Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senator Francis Escudero also rejected the call by the group called the Coalition for Justice. /ee
READ: Escudero, Sotto reject call for Senate to act on Sereno quo warranto
