MANILA—Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson denied claims that he was “playing safe” when he abstained from voting on the motion to archive the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying his decision was made out of respect for the Supreme Court.

Lacson said his abstention was due to the still-pending motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives through the Solicitor General to appeal the high court’s ruling that declared the impeachment complaint unconstitutional.

“So I did not play safe. I followed the Supreme Court and I do not want to preempt it because it has not issued a final decision,” Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on One PH. “I abstained out of respect for the Supreme Court.”

In a post on X, he described abstention as the most compliant action to the Supreme Court’s ruling compared to a “Yes” or “No” vote. He said a “Yes” vote would preempt the court’s final ruling after the motion for reconsideration, while a “No” vote would be “partial, not complete adherence.”

Lacson added that he will not comment on the merits of the case while awaiting the court’s decision, noting that he will base his position on the evidence should the impeachment court convene.