Former Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Thursday said he will not withdraw his support for the resolution urging the Supreme Court (SC) to review its decision to oust former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Resolution No.738 was tackled in the upper chamber early Thursday morning.
READ: 14 senators file resolution urging SC review of Sereno ouster
Minority senators tried but failed to have the resolution adopted last night, the Senate’s last session before the legislative break.
Pimentel, who was recently replaced by Senator Vincente Sotto III as Senate President, said he is still supporting the resolution to merely express the opinion of the Senate on the high court’s decision.
“I did not sign to influence the court, I signed it to express the sense of the Senate,” he said.
The former senate president’s support for the resolution was floated as the reason for the Senate’s reorganization. Fourteen senators signed the resolution electing Sotto as the new Senate President.
Pimentel, however, insisted that Malacañang had no hand in the leadership revamp.
The senator expressed confidence that the Senate will adopt the resolution, most likely in July, noting that 14 or majority of the senators have already signed it.
Pimentel said the resolution would help the people review the soundness of the controversial decision.
“Under our system, decisions of the Supreme Court cannot be reviewed by any other court or any other body. Hence, it should be reviewed by the people,” he said, adding that it is not a an issue on constitutionality but a question of the soundness of the argument of the Supreme Court. /ee