Drilon, Sotto refute Alvarez on senators attending House sessions on Cha-cha

Senators Franklin Drilon and Vicente Sotto III (File photos / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III on Thursday chided Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez who claimed that the upper chamber cannot expel a senator who would attend House’s session on Charter change (Cha-cha).

In a radio interview on Thursday, Alvarez said a senator attending the House’s session is “not a ground for expulsion” because they were “elected by the people.”

“The last time I read the Constitution, each House of congress have the exclusive right to discipline its members, which cannot be questioned by anyone, not even the Supreme Court,” Drilon said in a text message.

“It’s obvious he did not listen to the hearing yesterday,” Sotto likewise said, referring to the Wednesday’s Senate hearing on Cha-cha.

In an all-senators’ caucus Tuesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson warned that any senator who would attend the House’ session on the proposed Constituent assembly (Con-ass) would be expelled from the Senate

“I did suggest that yesterday after we all agreed to close ranks as one body. Nobody objected,” Lacson said in a text message to reporters.

“Anyway, as of yesterday, wala namang may plano (they don’t have any plan). I was just concerned that in case of that remote possibility na meron (that there will be) in the future, he or she cannot escape a misdeed that borders on treachery to our senate as an institution. We can use our mechanism in the ethics committee to execute my proposal,” he added. /jpv

READ: Lacson wants any senator attending House con-ass expelled