INCOMING Senator Panfilo Lacson vehemently denied rumors of a meeting with Vice President Sara Duterte, calling the reports “absolutely false and outright malicious.”
Lacson’s statement comes as the Senate prepares to convene as an impeachment court upon the resumption of Congress on June 2nd, with preparations for Duterte’s impeachment trial already underway, including the delivery of senator-judges’ robes.
Lacson stated on Tuesday that he had received reports alleging a meeting between himself and another senator-elect with VP Duterte. He emphasized that such a meeting would be highly inappropriate given his potential role as a senator-judge in the impeachment trial should it proceed into the 20th Congress.
“It is the height of impropriety to meet with her, being a respondent in the said impeachment case already transmitted to the Senate,” Lacson said in a statement.
He clarified that under normal circumstances, a courtesy call on the Vice President would be acceptable, citing his own visit to then-Vice President Leni Robredo after winning his third Senate term in 2016. The denial aims to dispel speculation and underscore Lacson’s commitment to impartiality in the upcoming impeachment proceedings.
