Senators Franklin Drilon and Vicente Sotto III (File photos / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III on Thursday chided Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez who claimed that the upper chamber cannot expel a senator who would attend House鈥檚 session on Charter change (Cha-cha).
In a radio interview on Thursday, Alvarez said a senator attending the House鈥檚 session is 鈥渘ot a ground for expulsion鈥� because they were 鈥渆lected by the people.鈥�
鈥淭he last time I read the Constitution, each House of congress have the exclusive right to discipline its members, which cannot be questioned by anyone, not even the Supreme Court,鈥� Drilon said in a text message.
鈥淚t鈥檚 obvious he did not listen to the hearing yesterday,鈥� Sotto likewise said, referring to the Wednesday鈥檚 Senate hearing on Cha-cha.
In an all-senators鈥� caucus Tuesday, Senator Panfilo Lacson warned that any senator who would attend the House鈥� session on the proposed Constituent assembly (Con-ass) would be expelled from the Senate
鈥淚 did suggest that yesterday after we all agreed to close ranks as one body. Nobody objected,鈥� Lacson said in a text message to reporters.
鈥淎nyway, as of yesterday, wala namang may plano (they don鈥檛 have any plan). I was just concerned that in case of that remote possibility na meron (that there will be) in the future, he or she cannot escape a misdeed that borders on treachery to our senate as an institution. We can use our mechanism in the ethics committee to execute my proposal,鈥� he added. /jpv
搁贰础顿:听Lacson wants any senator attending House con-ass expelled