SENATOR Panfilo Lacson yesterday said the Senate is ready to elect a new leader who will serve as acting president should there be an attempt to delay the May 2022 polls.

Lacson’s statement came after Duterte’s faction in the PDP- Laban sought to reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy (CoCs).

“I would not like to think that the intention of the petition to reopen the filing of the COCs filed by the PDP-Laban is to delay the election on May 9,e 30, 2022,” Lacson said.

“As I have suggested earlier to Senate President Vicente Sotto III and some of my colleagues, the Senate must not allow this to happen,” he added.

Lacson explained that to preserve the presidential line of succession as provided for under Article VII Sec. 7 of the 1987 Constitution, a new Senate President would be elected before Congress adjourns its sessions in June.

“The new Senate President, whose term will expire on June 30, 2025, should act as President until a new President or Vice President shall have been chosen and qualified,” the senator explained.

According to Lacson, most of his colleagues have already agreed to his proposal.

“Let me clarify and emphasize that I am not accusing the administration of any malevolent attempt in this possible scenario. What I’m only saying is that the Senate will always be the bulwark of our democracy, and I take pride in playing a major role in it,” he added.

Sotto III confirmed having discussions on a possible delay of this year’s elections.

“Yes we have discussed that, it’s our idea of how to resolve the problem of vacancy in the leadership. We were ten steps ahead,” Sotto said.

“It’s resolving a constitutional problem if everyone’s term ends on June 30 and with no newly elected officials,” he added.

Sotto stressed that if elections are postponed, he would step down in the last week of May so a new Senate President is elected who will serve as acting president until elections are held.

“They cannot replace him or her by July 1st because they will only have 12 votes,” Sotto stressed.