Decision must be fair for nation’s sake

A fair, evidence-based verdict in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial would help stabilize the country, senator-judge Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said Saturday, as he stressed that the defense has yet to present its case.

During the 65th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Constitution Association in Makati City, Lacson responded to a question from Philconsa organizers on what kind of decision in the impeachment case would help stabilize the country’s politics and democracy.

“A fair decision will bring stability to the country. As long as the decision is fair and based on evidence as presented without any political color, then it will bring stability to the country,” he said.

But the senator-judge cautioned against concluding before the trial is complete, noting that the defense has yet to present its evidence.

Defense up next

“It’s not complete; the defense has not yet presented its evidence. We only hear one side of the story. We need to hear the other side,” Lacson cautioned.

Lacson has previously argued that efforts to speed up the impeachment proceedings should mean making the most of the Senate’s limited hearing time, rather than cutting short the presentation of evidence.

On 23 September, the impeachment court overturned its earlier fixed 16-vote requirement. It ruled that the two-thirds threshold would instead be computed based on senators who are legally and factually capable of participating when judgment is rendered. The ruling followed a debate over senators who are unable to participate in the trial.