MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson stated on Friday that the Supreme Court’s ruling to throw out a petition challenging the Senate’s June 3 session confirmed the solid legal basis behind the chamber’s reorganization, which led to the removal of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President.
Lacson noted that the 12 senators who took part in the proceedings were confident from the start that their actions strictly followed the law.
“We were certain then and it is now validated by the Supreme Court that we stood on solid legal ground when we reorganized the Senate by removing Alan Peter Cayetano and elected Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as Senate President pro tempore and acting presiding officer,” Lacson said in a statement.
In an August 26 resolution, the high tribunal sitting en banc dismissed the petition brought by lawyers Valeriano Loon and Zigfred Diaz.
The court held that the petitioners failed to demonstrate that the participating senators committed grave abuse of discretion during the June 3 session, determining that the gathering aligned with the facts, relevant laws, and established legal precedents.
The session resolved a two-day standoff in the upper chamber when Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero teamed up with the minority group inside the plenary hall, raising the total number of present lawmakers to 12.
Having established a 12-member presence, the chamber moved to vote Senator Win Gatchalian into office as Senate President Pro Tempore and acting presiding officer.
“We didn’t elect him as (Senate president) because the Constitution was clear that we needed at least 13 members to elect, but not to remove a sitting Senate president,” Lacson explained.