The Partido Demokratiko Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Sunday called on the Senate leadership to appoint a chairperson for its ethics committee, which it notes remains vacant.

Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, the party’s spokesperson for impeachment matters, said in a statement that the post has been open since the latest caucus of the 20th Congress.

“We respectfully request the current Senate leadership to fill up the said position at its earliest convenience,” Topacio said.

While acknowledging that the Senate has “more pressing and important concerns,” Topacio stressed the need for a mechanism to “preserve the dignity, integrity and reputation of the Senate.”

Topacio cited “certain conduct on the part of some members” that he believes “reflect very poorly on the discharge of their bounden duty to protect and defend the Constitution.”

He said that once the committee is organized, PDP-Laban, “as citizens, will be bringing to its attention what to us are grave ethical lapses by certain Senators.”

He did not specify which senators or what conduct he was referring to.