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PINAGHAHANDAAN na ng Senado ang posibilidad na maudlot ang halalan sa Mayo o ang no election scenario.
Isiniwalat ni presidential bet Senatar Panfilo Lacson ang tsansa ng no-el scenario kasunod ng petisyon ng PDP-Laban Cusi faction sa Commission on Elections (Comelec) na buksan muli ang filing of certificate of candidacy (CoCs).
Dahil dito, nakahanda aniya ang Senado na magluklok ng bagong Senate president na magsisilbing acting president sakaling may magtangkang idiskaril ang 2022 elections.
“I would not like to think that the intention of the petition to reopen the filing of the COCs filed by the PDP-Laban is to delay the election on May 9, 2022 — and pave the way for the extension of the term of office of the President beyond June 30, 2022. This is something the 1987 Constitution clearly forbids,” ani Lacson sa isang kalatas kahapon.
“As I have suggested earlier to Senate President Vicente Sotto III and some of my colleagues, the Senate must not allow this to happen,” dagdag niya.
Upang ma-preserve aniya ang presidential line of succession alinsunod sa Article VII Sec. 7 ng 1987 Constitution, maghahalal ng bagong Senate President bago mag-adjourn ang sessions sa Hunyo.
Ang bagong Senate President, na matatapos ang termino sa 30 Hunyo 2025, ay magsisilbing acting president hanggang may mapiling bago at kalipikadong pangulo o bise presidente.
Karamihan aniya sa mga senador ay pumabor sa naturang panukala.
“Let me clarify and emphasize that I am not accusing the administration of any malevolent attempt in this possible scenario. What I’m only saying is that the Senate will always be the bulwark of our democracy, and I take pride in playing a major role in it,” sabi ni Lacson.
Kinompirma ni Senate President Tito Sotto ang pagtalakay ng mga senador sa posibleng pagkaantala ng eleksiyon sa Mayo.
“Yes we have discussed that, it’s our idea of how to resolve the problem of vacancy in the leadership. We were ten steps ahead,” sabi ni Sotto.
“It’s resolving a constitutional problem if everyone’s term ends on June 30 and with no newly elected officials,” aniya.
Kapag naunsyami ang eleksiyon, sinabi ni Sotto na bababa siya sa posisyon sa huling linggo ng Mayo upang ang iluluklok na bagong Senate president ay magsilbing acting president hanggang idaos ang halalan.
“They cannot replace him or her by July 1st because they will only have 12 votes,” sabi ni Sotto. (ROSE NOVENARIO)
