Senator Panfilo Lacson on Friday said a proposal to allow online participation in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, including possible remote voting by Senator Ronald dela Rosa, is unlikely to prosper because Senate rules allow virtual attendance only during force majeure or national emergencies.

Lacson said changing the rules at this stage could also delay the impeachment proceedings.

“Hindi lulusot. At saka maantala kami pag binago namin ang rules on impeachment (Such a move won’t succeed. And it might delay us if we have to change the rules of the impeachment court),” Lacson said in a radio interview.

He said the Senate allowed remote participation during the Covid-19 pandemic because lockdowns prevented senators from physically attending sessions, a condition that no longer exists.

“Even sa rules ng Senado hindi rin pupwede. Ang umiiral na rules pag may force majeure or emergency tulad ng Covid noong panahon ng Covid pinayagan namin yan, di kami maka-session kung may lockdown (Even under the Senate rules, it is not allowed. The prevailing rules allow it only during force majeure or an emergency like Covid, when we allowed it because we could not hold sessions during lockdown),” he said.

Lacson was referring to the move of Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who on May 11 proposed to amend Rule 14, Section 41 of the Senate rules to allow a senator, “for justifiable reasons,” to attend and participate in sessions through teleconference, video conference, or other reliable remote or electronic means.

Marcoleta made the motion on the same day dela Rosa appeared at the Senate after a six-month absence.

Under the current rule, the Senate President may convene and hold sessions remotely only due to force majeure or the occurrence of a national emergency, as determined by a majority of all senators, when such circumstances prevent the Senate from convening or its members from being physically present in the session hall.

No objection was raised on the floor when Marcoleta made the proposal, but Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano referred it to the Committee on Rules.

Lacson said the motion has not been decided and remains invalid unless the Senate amends its rules through the proper process.

He said any proposal covering the impeachment trial should be resolved by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, not merely during regular plenary session, because impeachment proceedings follow separate rules and procedures.

The issue is expected to affect dela Rosa after the Supreme Court did not issue a temporary restraining order against the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him. (PNA)