MANILA — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson dismissed as “nonsensical” remarks by former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo predicting how some senators would vote if the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte reaches the Senate.

Lacson took exception to Panelo’s assertion that he, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, and Senators Risa Hontiveros and Francis Pangilinan would vote to convict the Vice President.

“Why is Panelo trying to sound smarter than us? No one can speak on my behalf. And I have said this before – we’ll always be guided by the evidence. We haven’t reached the trial stage, why is he preempting us and calling us ‘pusakal/feral’?” he said in a mix of English and Filipino in an interview on Storycon on One News. “Is he a soothsayer? What if I say he’s a pusakal/feral soothsayer?”

“He isn’t just a feral dog. He’s an idiot,” Lacson said of Panelo.

Lacson emphasized that senators, who may serve as judges in an impeachment trial, must exercise caution in their statements, noting that their actions would be subject to public scrutiny.

He said decisions in such proceedings should be based solely on evidence, adding that senators could face questions if they vote to convict despite weak evidence or acquit despite strong evidence.

“Do we want to leave a tarnished legacy to our children and grandchildren? We are capable of discernment so he should not prejudge us. It is complete nonsense to say four senators are sure to convict the Vice President,” he said.

Lacson also commented on Panelo’s son, Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., describing him as well-mannered in contrast to his father.

“This is a case of the fruit falling far from the tree. The son’s aura is different, so I respect him – and wonder, where did the son get his good manners when his father has bad ones?” he said.

“If he continues his ways, he might fall off the ceiling like some unstable lizards,” he added of the elder Panelo.

Meanwhile, Lacson urged his fellow senators to avoid making statements about the possible merits of the impeachment case, stressing their role as potential senator-judges.

“I am not saying we have colleagues who are inappropriate. But we must refrain from commenting because we will be potential senator-judges,” he said.