Lacson

Lacson: Senate ready for orderly transfer of power

January 10, 2022 Marlon Purification 376 views

SHOWING he is a keen protector of the Constitution, Partido Reporma chairman and standard bearer Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson assured Filipinos the Senate is ready for an orderly transfer of power to the next government through the constitutional line of succession in the unlikely event that a “no-election” situation occurs after June 30, 2022.

Lacson said he and running mate Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III are leading discussions on how to elect a new leader of the upper chamber among the 12 senators whose six-year terms would end in June 2025. This would ensure the continuity of government despite a “no-el” scenario being floated by some parties.

Under the Constitution, elected officials led by the President, Vice President, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives must step down by June 30, 2022 regardless of whether elections are held – as they are currently scheduled on May 9 – or not this year.

But if indeed there are no elections held this year, Lacson said a Senate President with an active term could become Acting President and appoint temporary Cabinet officials to ensure that government can continue to operate even in a holdover capacity, until elections are actually held to fulfill the people’s mandate and uphold the Constitution.

The Senate President is second in the line of succession to the President, after the Vice President and before the House Speaker. Having been elected in 2016, Sotto is set to step down on June 30 along with President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo, and House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

“Maski madiskaril ang eleksyon, pwedeng hindi… Halimbawang designed man o hindi o unintended, kung halimbawang hindi magkaroon ng eleksyon sa Mayo, at magkaroon ng problema sa June 30 kasi lahat bababa e… But there is one body, one institution, na ang tawag ay ‘continuing’ – Senado lang ‘yun,” Lacson stressed.

The three-term senator, whose term is also expiring on June 30, said he had proposed this move to his colleagues while the senators whose terms end in 2022 were still in office, so they could legally elect a new Senate President with the required 13-vote majority of the 24-person chamber.

In the event of a “no-el” scenario by May, the new Senate President after Sotto would then become Acting President for a maximum of six months, during which time he or she should call for elections to elect the new set of government officials to whom he would turn over the reins of leadership.

“But temporary lang naman siyang uupo, I think, hindi ko sure kung six months ‘yung maximum period na kung saan dapat tumawag siya ng election para ma-elect na ‘yung bagong presidente at saka bise-presidente. Rumiremedyo na kami, naka-ready na kami doon,” the senator added.

If it is clear that no elections will be held in May, then Lacson said senators should convene and pick their new Senate President before they go on recess on February 7, their last day of work before going on the official campaign period for national positions in the 2022 elections. Even then, this will be subject to intense legal review, the Partido Reporma chief added.