MANILA – Senator Panfilo Lacson said a proposal allowing online participation in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, including possible remote voting by Senator Ronald dela Rosa, is unlikely to be approved under existing Senate rules.

Lacson said current rules only permit virtual attendance in cases of force majeure or national emergencies, warning that any attempt to amend the rules at this stage could also delay the proceedings.

“Hindi lulusot. At saka maantala kami pag binago namin ang rules on impeachment (Such a move won’t succeed. And it might delay us if we have to change the rules of the impeachment court),” Lacson said in a radio interview.

He said remote participation was previously allowed during the Covid-19 pandemic due to lockdown restrictions that prevented physical attendance.

“Even sa rules ng Senado hindi rin pupwede. Ang umiiral na rules pag may force majeure or emergency tulad ng Covid noong panahon ng Covid pinayagan namin yan, di kami maka-session kung may lockdown (Even under the Senate rules, it is not allowed. The prevailing rules allow it only during force majeure or an emergency like Covid, when we allowed it because we could not hold sessions during lockdown),” he said.

Lacson was referring to the proposal of Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who on May 11 sought to amend Rule 14, Section 41 of the Senate rules to allow senators, “for justifiable reasons,” to attend and participate in sessions through teleconference, video conference, or other remote or electronic means.

Marcoleta’s motion was made on the same day Senator Ronald dela Rosa appeared in the Senate after a six-month absence.

Under existing rules, the Senate President may only convene sessions remotely in cases of force majeure or national emergency, as determined by a majority of senators, when physical attendance is not possible.

Although no objection was raised during the plenary, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano referred the proposal to the Committee on Rules for further study.

Lacson said the matter has not yet been resolved and would remain invalid unless the Senate formally amends its rules through proper procedures.

He added that issues related to the impeachment trial should be addressed by the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, which follows separate rules from regular plenary proceedings.

The issue is expected to have implications for dela Rosa following the Supreme Court’s decision not to issue a temporary restraining order against the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him.