Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Friday issued a stern call to his colleagues to restore the Senate’s battered credibility following a May 13 shooting incident that made global headlines.
During a radio interview, Lacson emphasized that the chamber must pivot toward maturity and constitutional duty as it prepares to convene as an impeachment court for Vice President Sara Duterte.
“We landed in the international news for the wrong reasons. It was ugly — the shooting in the Philippine Senate as breaking news. So it is time to recover. The word Senate stems from the word ‘senatus’ meaning wise, mature men. So moving forward, we must do what is right and not show immaturity that will worsen the situation.”
Lacson pointed to the upcoming May 18 impeachment proceedings as a vital opportunity for the institution to fulfill its mandate and begin the process of internal “self-reflection.”
“As senators we henceforth must self-reflect individually and collectively to perform our duty… Moving forward, our focus should be to redeem the Senate from its present situation.”
The veteran lawmaker also took the opportunity to debunk several narratives surrounding the violence. He dismissed “malicious” claims that the minority bloc fled the building early in anticipation of the clash.
Furthermore, he directly contradicted Senator Imee Marcos’s assertion that President Bongbong Marcos had ordered the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa “at all costs.”
“Categorically, no. Such instructions would be impossible. If they were true, the Senate would have been assaulted, and there would be casualties. It is quite far from the truth — and even an irresponsible one from Senator (Imee) Marcos.”
Addressing claims that the Senate was “under attack,” Lacson noted that the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms reportedly admitted to firing the initial warning shot, urging the public to base their judgments on the forthcoming investigation.
“If you are under attack, the attacker should have fired first. On the contrary, the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms had actually admitted to having fired first.”