Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Senate’s independence should not be used to place lawmakers beyond the reach of the law amid the controversy surrounding the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Lacson made the statement after Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano attempted, but failed, to stop authorities from serving a Sandiganbayan arrest warrant against Estrada inside the Senate.
According to accounts of the incident, Cayetano cited the actions of former Senate President Jovito Salonga in protecting then Senator Juan Ponce Enrile when he appealed to authorities not to carry out the arrest within Senate premises.
However, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla proceeded with the implementation of the warrant.
Lacson stressed that standing up for the Senate’s institutional independence does not mean that senators are exempt from legal processes.
He maintained that no lawmaker, including the Senate President, is above the law.
The senator also questioned the decision to halt Senate work in protest, saying that refusing to hold sessions would not help address the current tensions within the chamber.
According to Lacson, abandoning legislative duties is not the solution to the Senate’s ongoing crisis.
His remarks come as tensions continue to escalate between the Senate majority and minority blocs following Estrada’s arrest on plunder charges linked to the alleged flood control fund controversy.
The dispute has triggered a broader debate over Senate independence, accountability, and the proper balance between institutional autonomy and compliance with the rule of law.
