Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will abide and “fully implement” the Sandiganbayan’s order suspending Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada for 90 days on plunder charges, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Friday.
Drilon said “The Senate will abide by the process in accordance with the Constitution and the laws.”
“The Senate will respect every step in the investigation of this case. We will fully abide by the preventive suspension order issued by the Sandiganbayan and we will implement the order,” he said in a statement.
Drilon explained that a senator, who is preventively suspended, “cannot in any manner perform the function of his office within the duration of preventive suspension.”
“He is barred from attending sessions, filing bills, holding committee hearings and signing committee reports,” the Senate leader pointed out.
Drilon made it clear though that Estrada’s suspension from the chamber would not affect the functions of the committee on labor, which Estrada chairs, because it would be taken over by the vice chairman, who would attend to pending bills in the committee.
“We will continue to function despite the suspension order,” Drilon said.
“The Senate is not about the senators and it is not about the pork barrel scam controversy. We have a mandate to fulfil and with our performance during the First Regular Session, we have proven that the Senate could not be hampered by any controversy,” he further said.
Estrada, and two other Senators –Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. along with other individuals, have been charged with plunder and graft before the Sandiganbayan for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.
RELATED STORIES