Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Thursday, May 28 said including foreign conflicts under “force majeure” to justify remote participation and voting in Senate proceedings would be an “unforced error.”

Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (OS Lacson)

Lacson pointed this out in referrence to Sen. Robinhood Padilla’s social media post where the latter  pointedly asked if war in the Middle East and the conflict between China and Taiwan were not force majeure in justifying the Senate Majority bloc’s push to allow senators to participate and vote in plenary sessions online.

"Hindi po ito ‘force majeure’. Iyan po ay ‘UNFORCED ERROR’ (This is not force majeure. This is an unforced error)," Lacson said in a post on X.

https://x.com/iampinglacson/status/2059868191686578430

Lacson, and other minority senators, had earlier rejected the move to allow senators' online participation as the Senate rules allow virtual participation only during force majeure and time of national emergency.

According to Lacson, such move would not likely succeed as also under Senate’s rules, remote participation is allowed only in unexpected or uncontrollable circumstances or emergencies that prevent senators from attending sessions physically.

Lacson said the minority bloc will continue debating and raising questions over the majority bloc's bid to allow online participation in Senate proceedings - including remote voting.

Lacson also echoed Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III’s earlier pronouncement, saying the minority bloc may seek intervention from the Supreme Court as a last resort.

"We'll keep debating, asking questions, interpellating, and introducing amendments if it comes to that. If they disregard Section 24 and insist on Section 136 of the Rules of the Senate and divide the house and we lose the voting, so be it,” Lacson said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on ANC's Headstart.

“If the majority commits grave abuse of discretion, we'll have the option to bring the case before the Supreme Court,” he stressed.

Lacson said the SC may step in when matters involving grave abuse of discretion committed by any officer, agency or department of the government are brought before it.

"So the Supreme Court can enter the picture if there is a grave abuse of discretion. The other option for the Supreme Court is not to step in because it will not interfere in our internal rules. But that is our final option, if Rule 136 is forced on us - which to us is unacceptable," Lacson said.

Lacson also said the minority is not ruling out another walkout from the session if the circumstances warrant it.

"The majority cannot force the adoption of a motion without quorum. So we may also do that again - the minority leader will be left on the floor to question the quorum, a repeat of what happened last Tuesday," he said.

The former national police chief also debunked claims that the motion introduced by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta for remote voting is similar to the situation of former senator and now  ML Party-list Representative Leila de Lima.

Lacson recalled that the resolution he co-authored with then Senator Franklin Drilon allowing her to participate in committee hearings and plenary sessions did not include allowing her to remotely vote.

“That’s all there was to it. Participate. Hindi kasama (It doesn’t incldue that) she can vote,” he said.