JPE wants Trillanes in Senate

SENATE President Juan Ponce Enrile yesterday said the chamber won’t be able to work effectively on important matters like enacting laws and approving international treaties with only 21 members actively working in the Senate.

“Dalawang senador immobilized, isang bakante. So effectively, ilan lang kaming nagtatrabaho? Twenty-one. We are supposed to be 24. It will affect the decisional capability of the Senate because normally we operate on the basis of majority rule,” Enrile told reporters.

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Antonio Trillanes III cannot perform their duties as lawmakers.

Lacson went into hiding after a warrant for his arrest was issued by the court in January for his alleged involvement in the kidnap-slaying of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000.

Trillanes, on the other hand, has been jailed at Camp Crame for the past seven years pending resolution of the rebellion case filed against him for leading the Oakwood mutiny in 2003.

Former senator Benigno Aquino vacated his Senate seat when he won in the last May presidential elections.

“Unless the Constitution says otherwise, in case of impeachment, you need 16 senators. If there are less than 16 senators working, how can you impeach, ratify treaties?” Enrile asked.

Enrile is set to meet with a Makati judge handling Trillanes’ case to reiterate the appeal of the Upper Chamber to release him to the Senate custody.

“I’m not doing this on my own. There is a resolution of the Senate. And the international parliamentarians’ community is interested in the case of Sen. Trillanes,” he said.

“We have to show them that we are earnest in protecting the right of any member of Congress who is in the situation of (Sen.) Sonny Trillanes. And also because of our interest that a man elected by a great number of Filipinos as the representative in this forum, known as the Senate, should be able to perform his job, function, the mandate given to him subject to the restrictions and orders of the court who has jurisdiction over him,” he added.

Bernadette Tamayo, Journal Online