Crossing partylines, 19 of 23 senators filed on Wednesday a resolution expressing that the Senate’s absolute parliamentary immunity for speeches delivered in the chamber must be “upheld and protected” at all times. “The Senate must thwart any attempt to diminish its members’ constitutionally guaranteed right to parliamentary immunity and privilege from arrest as it is only with the fullest liberty of speech that legislators can effectively discharge their mandate,” read the Senate Resolution No. Only four did not sign the resolution and they were Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Majority Leader Vicente “Tito’ Sotto III, and Senators Richard Gordon and Francis Escudero, who are all part of the Senate majority bloc. ADVERTISEMENTThirteen authors of the resolution belong to the majority bloc while six are from the minority bloc. The 13 majority members are Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Gringo Honasan, Panfilo Lacson, Manny Pacquiao, Grace Poe, Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 21, 2018 08:36 UTC