Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Senate President Franklin Drilon expressed his disappointment with the Supreme Court on Wednesday for having “no sense of urgency” in deciding on the disqualification case against presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe.
“Are you asking me if I am satisfied? No, I am not satisfied. The earlier it is decided, the better for all of us. And I urge the Supreme Court to give this extra-ordinary attention, so that it can be decided earlier,” Drilon said during the “Kapihan sa Manila Bay” when sought to react on the Supreme Court’s ongoing oral arguments on Poe’s qualifications to run for president in the upcoming elections in May.
“I hope that the Supreme Court will not say: ‘We know what we are doing.’ Such arrogance. They said that, right? Such arrogance. We should decide that as early as possible,” he said.
Drilon, vice chairman of the Liberal Party (LP), earlier called on the Supreme Court to act with dispatch on the case, however, he was reportedly rebuffed by the court’s spokesman that the justices know what to do.
READ: SC to Drilon: We know what to do
He reiterated his call, saying the high tribunal could hold marathon hearings on cases of “this magnitude and importance.”
“I am not happy with the pace of trial in the Supreme Court. It appears that the High Court lacks a sense of urgency. This is not an ordinary case. It will have a vast impact on our future,” Drilon said in a statement.
“Having oral arguments once a week, that is not giving it the urgency it deserves,” he said. “I’m not dictating on the court, but it is very frustrating because we know for certain that the court could hasten the process by conducting marathon hearings but it has chosen not do so.”
READ: Only SC can decide on Poe citizenship with finality—Drilon
The Senate leader then urged the court “to give the case extra ordinary attention, so that it can be decided earlier in order to protect the integrity and credibility of the May 2016 polls.”
“The issue cannot be left hanging. The case is posing serious threats to fair and credible elections in May and only the Supreme Court’s prompt action can eliminate that threat by resolving the case at the soonest,” he said.
“As I’ve said, the election is a basic tenet of democracy and any threat to it should be immediately resolved,” Drilon added.
Asked during the forum if the LP’s bet for president, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, could win the May 2016 elections whether or not Poe is disqualified, Drilon said: “Yes, we will win.” RAM
READ: Drilon admits Roxas’ standing in surveys a ‘concern’