MANILA: Sen Jinggoy Estrada urged the Senate leadership yesterday to collectively vote on the issue of suspending a member following the order of the Sandiganbayan suspending Sen Juan Ponce Enrile for 90 days.
As a coequal branch of government, Estrada said Congress could choose whether or not to suspend a member.
Estrada, who is facing plunder charges over the fund scam along with Enrile and Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr before the Sandiganbayan, said he is not trying to imply that he doesn’t want to be suspended or does not want the Senate to follow the anti-graft court’s rulings.
“Let’s go first to the suspension of Senator Enrile. For me, the Senate should decide as a collegial body because it involves a member or members of the Senate,” he said.
Estrada said the House of Representatives has precedents where congressmen were ordered suspended but this was not immediately implemented after lawmakers were asked to vote.
“So in the case of Senator Enrile or in future in my case, the Senate should decide on this issue.
But if the Senate decides to suspend, I will accept. I have no problem with that. Anyway it’s only a preventive suspension for 90 days,” Estrada said.
“I would also like to inform the Senate that I do not have any plans of elevating my suspension case before the Supreme Court. I leave it up to them,” he added.
Estrada said he was hoping that collegial voting should be conducted, pointing out Senate President Franklin Drilon is not the Senate and the Senate should decide as a collegial body.
On Monday, Drilon implemented the 90-day suspension against Enrile following the orders of the Sandiganbayan.
Sen. Vicente Sotto III yesterday questioned the decision of Drilon to suspend Enrile, which he said was “unilateral.”
Sotto said he was surprised to learn the Senate had received last week the preventive suspension order by the anti-graft court and its eventual implementation on Monday. The Sandiganbayan order was not entered into the Senate plenary’s order of business, Sotto pointed out.
Drilon announced on Monday the Senate would be implementing the 90-day suspension against Enrile, apparently without consulting his colleagues.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
