MANILA – Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon hopes the draft resolution urging the Supreme Court to review its decision to remove Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice will be calendared for deliberation when Congress resumes its session in July.
Senators failed to pass Senate Resolution 738 on their last session day on May 30 due to lack of quorum.
“Wala namang pagkaiba iyong sitwasyon. Iyong argumento ay ganoon pa rin,” Drilon said.
Fourteen senators signed the resolution. Drilon said he has not heard about any of them planning to withdraw. “We understood what we signed,” he said.
“Kami po naniniwala that the resolution continues to be valid with the signature of 14 senators. Iyan po ang damdamin ng 14 na senador,” Drilon stressed.
Those who signed the resolution were Drilon, Risa Hontiveros, Francis Pangilinan, Antonio Trillanes IV, Loren Legarda, Leila de Lima, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Ralph Recto, Francis Escudero, Sherwin Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, Grace Poe, Juan Edgardo Angara, and Aquilino Pimentel III.
Panfilo Lacson, Vicente Sotto III, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Gregorio Honasan II, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Richard Gordon, and Manny Pacquiao did not sign.
Reports that some signatures will be withdrawn do not worry Drilon.
“Kahit po iisa na lang na pirma ang natira doon, parehas pa rin iyan na ihaharap sa plenaryo at pagbobotohan sa plenaryo,” he said. “[At] kahit may 14, kung less than the majority ang bumoto for the resolution, hindi rin ma-adopt ang resolution.”
As to the criticisms that the Senate is interfering with the Supreme Court decision, Drilon explained that senators are free to express their sentiments on issues.
“Lahat po ay nagbibigay ng kanya-kanyang opinyon. Hindi naman po bawal magbigay ng opinyon. Tayo po ay may freedom of speech,” he said.
Still, only the Supreme Court can decide on the matter with finality, Drilon stressed.
“Pero hindi po ibig sabihin ang Korte Suprema lang ang pwedeng magbigay ng opinyon,” he said. “Hindi po sila (Supreme Court) obliged to give weight to our resolution – nasa sa kanila na po iyan. Ang Senado ay may karapatan na magbigay ng opinyon, at araw-araw ay ginagawa po namin iyan.”/PN
