Lacson: Bounty not to keep Dela Rosa from voting in impeachment court

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson dismissed claims that the government’s bounty and surrender ultimatum for Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa were timed to prevent the latter from voting in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“It is just the product of wild imaginations. As it is now, he is beyond the coercive power of the Senate. That was the ruling of the impeachment court: those who cannot be reached by its coercive power are not counted in the denominator,” Lacson said in an interview with radio dwIZ.

READ: Padilla, Go lead new bid questioning impeachment trial voting threshold

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Last month, the impeachment court ruled that the two-thirds vote for conviction would be based only on senators “legally and factually capable” of taking part in the trial. Excluded are, among others, those sought by authorities whose whereabouts are unknown.

READ: P50-M bounty for capture of ‘armed and dangerous’ Bato Dela Rosa – DILG

“Right now, [Dela Rosa] is in hiding, so he is not really participating anyway. And if he participates, he will likely, if not surely, be arrested,” added Lacson.

“I don’t see how Sen. Dela Rosa can participate even in the impeachment trial or in the voting. He may attempt to do it as he did during a previous leadership change, for the votes to reach 13,” Lacson said.

He was referring to Dela Rosa’s appearance last May 11 to vote for Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president, but fled the Senate following a shooting incident inside the Senate premises on May 13.

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“But [doing it again is] pushing his luck too hard…If he’ll do it again just to vote, it would only show that our law enforcement is really inefficient, if nothing will be done, if no arrest will be made,” added Lacson.

Dela Rosa faces arrest under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. He went into hiding late last year after learning of the warrant.

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On Friday, the government announced a P50-million bounty for Dela Rosa, while the Philippine National Police gave him one week to surrender. Dela Rosa’s lawyers questioned the legality of the reward. /cb