Miriam: CA's pro-Lacson ruling can't be elevated to SC

If Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is to be believed, then it is now safe for Senator Panfilo Lacson to surface and return to perform his duties as an elected official. In an interview with reporters on Monday, Santiago said the Court of Appeals' nullification of the arrest warrants against Lacson can no longer be elevated to the Supreme Court. "Only the CA can make final judgement on questions of fact (while) questions of law can be elevated to the SC… Hindi na yan aakyat unless you know a question of fact is intermingled with a question of law but I don’t see any (in this case)," she said. "And Sen Lacson can be free to come and attend the sessions of the Senate without fear of arrest," Santiago stressed. For his part, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said the CA decision should be a signal to the government "that in the appreciation of the Appellate Court, the evidence against Senator Lacson is weak." "I hope that they will finally heed the decision of the Court of Appeals so that Senator Lacson can come back and perform his duties as senator," he said. No special treatment Asked if the Senate will be rolling out a red carpet for Lacson, Enrile said the chamber need not give a fellow senator a special treatment. "We are not rolling out the red carpet for Senator Lacson. He’s an ordinary senator just like me and we are not entitled to any red carpet treatment. We are talking here of administration of justice," he said. Senator Vicente ‘Tito" Sotto III also urged Lacson to come back to work, saying his vote is important to the chamber. "You know in a 23-man Senate and if there is 23-man vote, one vote is very important, kaya if Sen. Lacson is coming back to the Senate, I am sure it is good news for the entire Senate. One vote is very important for whatever side that vote will go," he said Senator Franklin Drilon said Lacson’s continued absence in the chamber is not good. "Since his passport has been cancelled, he should go to the nearest Philippine consulate or embassy, assuming that he’s abroad, and secure a travel document for him to come back. But I would urge him to come back because his continued absence is not good," Drilon said. Jinggoy: No comment Senate Protempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, who had a rift with Lacson, refused to comment on the issue. In a privilege speech in 2009, Lacson indicated that Estrada’s father, former President Joseph Estrada, may have had something to do with the double murder case of publicist Salvador Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito. The younger Estrada then delivered a counter-privilege speech, belying Lacson's allegation and accusing the former chief of the National Police of being behind the November 2000 killings of Dacer and Corbito. — RSJ, GMA News