FILE PHOTO: Senator Panfilo Lacson in the foreground and Senate President Vicente Sotto III at the Senate. Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III, who are running for the president and the vice president, respectively, in May 9 elections, have rejected calls for them to not take part in the Senate investigation on the alleged breach in the Smartmatic system.
The two candidates asserted that it is their mandate to participate in and pursue such a probe initiated by the upper chamber.
They opposed the idea that there would be a conflict of interest on their part if they would not exclude themselves from investigating since they are running in the upcoming elections. Lacson and Sotto said that being candidates, they should also be concerned and involved when there is talk of cheating.
“Ibig sabihin nila, may conflict of interest dahil kandidato kamag-anak o kandidato, hindi na dapat alamin kung nagkakadayaan o hindi? Kung mayroong mga security breach, magandang maimbestigahan at malaman,” Sotto, who also serves as the Senate President, said in a press conference.
(Do they mean that if there is a conflict of interest because the investigator is a candidate or has a relative who is a candidate, they should no longer look into whether there is cheating or not? If there’s a security breach, it’s important for it to be investigated and found out.)
“Bakit pipigilin natin ‘yung mga nag-iimbestiga? Dapat nga concerned ‘yung mga kandidato, concerned ‘yung mga kamag-anak ng kandidato baka magkakadayaan,” he added.
(Why would we prevent those who must investigate? Candidates or their kin should actually be concerned if there might be cheating.)
For his part, Lacson said the investigation is not only about cheating against one particular candidate but for all, and it also affects the “integrity of elections in general.”
He also said that senators’ mandate is to practice their oversight function.
“Kontra daya para sa lahat, kasama na rin kung sino ‘yung gusto nilang matulungan, lahat ito eh. It applies to all candidates and ‘yung integrity of elections in general,” he said.
(It is not just against cheating on one particular candidate but to all. It also applies to the integrity of elections in general.)
“Saka ang trabaho namin i-aabandon namin ‘yung aming mandate under the Constitution na ‘yung oversight function ng Senate, ng Congress? Hindi mangyayari yon,” he added.
(And it’s our job. We cannot abandon our mandate under the Constitution to practice our oversight function.)
Election watchdog Kontra Daya called on senators running for elective posts in May to inhibit themselves in the probe so that there will be a “certain degree of independence” in the investigation.
Kontra Daya has also called on Senator Imee Marcos to resign as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Election Reforms, which was assigned to conduct the inquiry on the Smartmatic controversy.
Senator Marcos is the elder sister of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
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