A CONGRESSMAN on Monday asked the Senate to proceed with Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial despite recent actions by the Supreme Court (SC) on lawsuits challenging the complaint.
“There’s no reason for the Senate to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision since no temporary restraining order has been issued,” Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua told a news briefing in Filipino. “For now, the trial should proceed unless the Supreme Court orders it to stop.”
On July 8, the Supreme Court consolidated two petitions filed by Ms. Duterte’s allies seeking to block the impeachment trial. The tribunal ordered both the House of Representatives and Senate to comment on the lawsuit.
Mr. Chua said the House would comply with the directive. “We’ll be able to comply with the requirements requested by the Supreme Court in the House.”
The House impeached Ms. Duterte in February, citing allegations of budget irregularities, unexplained wealth and conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., his wife, and Speaker Martin Romualdez. The Vice-President has denied the allegations.
After her impeachment, Ms. Duterte’s supporters filed two separate petitions before the Supreme Court to stop the Senate trial. The plaintiffs argued that the Vice-President’s right to due process had been violated during the impeachment proceedings in the House.
In her formal response submitted to the Senate in June, Ms. Duterte said the impeachment complaint lacked legal merit. She also invoked the constitutional provision that prohibits Congress from initiating more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a single calendar year.
However, Party-list Rep. Terry L. Ridon said the constitutional safeguard cited by Ms. Duterte does not apply to her case. “The facts are clear. There was never a referral to the House committee on Justice,” he told the same briefing.
Mr. Ridon said the first three impeachment complaints filed against Ms. Duterte in December by civil society groups, activists and religious leaders were never formally referred to the committee, which would have triggered the one-year bar.
On Feb. 5, a fourth impeachment complaint — endorsed by more than 215 lawmakers — was filed and sent directly to the Senate without going through a committee hearing.
“Ultimately, this case should be dismissed because the one-year ban only applies to the impeachment complaint that proceeded to direct plenary action,” Mr. Ridon said.
Mr. Chua added that a definitive ruling from the Supreme Court on the constitutional ban could help prevent further delays. “It would be helpful for the Supreme Court to rule on the Duterte camp’s one-year bar plea so it could not be used to stall Ms. Duterte’s impeachment trial,” he added.
The impeachment trial is expected to begin later this month under the 20th Congress. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio