Senator-elect Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Sunday, June 29 appealed to senators to behave and act like judges as they deliberate into the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Lacson pointed out it is inappropriate for senator-judges to act as defense lawyers for the respondent in an impeachment case.

“(Let’s) behave and speak like judges. All of us have seen and observed how trials happen in regional trial courts…watched videos of court hearings. That should be our behavior. That we act as real judges, and because we are judges,” Lacson said in an interview on Radio DZBB.

“Let’s not act as if we’re meddling with the presentation of evidence; leave it to the defense and prosecution team. We are there to listen,” the senator said.

Lacson also said it is imperative for the Senate impeachment court to be able to render a decision that is beyond reasonable doubt.

“The judge needs to be convinced that the person committed the crime beyond reasonable doubt. In administrative (cases), there’s preponderance of evidence, it is not necessary to render a guilty verdict beyond reasonable doubt. It is just preponderance. You can decide that you are guilty,” he pointed out.

In an impeachment court, Lacson said there are no such parameters in between preponderance of evidence and guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

“So that's where we'll weigh in, that's our flexibility if the evidence is present on where we will place ourselves,” he said.

At the very least, Lacson said senator-judges shouldn’t lower the threshold when it comes to preponderance of evidence.

“If indeed there is no evidence, no preponderance, and I’m speaking for myself, I will (vote to) acquit,” he said.

“But if the threshold of preponderance is beyond, even if it falls short of guild beyond reasonable doubt, I myself will convict,” he said.

Besides, Lacson said those who lose in an impeachment trial are not going to be imprisoned.

“The only punishment is to remove. There’s no jail term, there’s no fine. It’s just one thing: when a guilty verdict is rendered, the respondent is removed from the current government position,” he stressed.

Lacson had earlier scored Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s action of calling for the dismissal of the impeachment case against Duterte before the Senate convened into an impeachment court.

Eventually, the Senate impeachment court voted to remand the case back to the House of Representatives without dismissing the complaint.

Nevertheless, Lacson insists it is the duty of the Senate to try and decide the impeachment case that has been filed against the vice president.