ASEANEWS HEADLINE-VP Du30 IMPEACHMENT | MANILA: House sets MR, says SC amended Constitution
Workers do renovation works around the House of Representatives within the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City on July 3, 2024./ STAR / Miguel De Guzman
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Abante: House clarifies to SC all impeachment actions follow rules, Constitution | ANC
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PDP-Laban wants critic of SC cited in contempt
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MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has basically amended the Constitution and intruded on Congress’ mandate pertaining to impeachment proceedings.
This was the House of Representatives’ reaction after the SC ruled that the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte was unconstitutional.
House spokesperson Princess Abante said that the high tribunal’s ruling added “very stringent requirements that not only complicate the impeachment process but also encroach on the exclusive powers of the House.”
Abante confirmed that the House will file a motion for reconsideration, in the hope that “once the facts are corrected, the Court will arrive at a different and more just conclusion.”
Meanwhile, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is set to file a petition for contempt against someone it described as an “arrogant” critic of the SC ruling.
Abante refuted the SC’s claim that Duterte was not given any chance to rebut the allegations, highlighting the fact that the she had “repeatedly been invited to hearings to present her side but chose not to appear.”
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“To disregard these facts is not only a disservice to the truth – it is a disservice to the Constitution itself,” Abante said.
She said the Court’s primary assertion – that the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate without plenary approval – is “categorically false.”
“Last Feb. 5, then House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe proposed to pass the complaint to the Senate, based on the signatures gathered. This was approved by the House plenary, where the leadership immediately formed a panel of public prosecutors,” Abante explained.
“The transmittal of the impeachment complaint was not unilateral or even ministerial. The transmittal to the Senate of the complaint was not unilateral or ministerial, it was the clear result of plenary action,” she added.
Abante said this was clearly recorded in House Journal No. 36 and in the official record of the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court also cited the House’s supposed failure to act on three earlier impeachment complaints filed in December 2024. Abante denied this, saying the chamber had in fact voted to archive the three complaints hours before adjournment.
Contempt charges
Meanwhile, PDP-Laban spokesperson Ferdinand Topacio said the party is set to file a petition for contempt on July 30 against an unnamed critic of the SC ruling.
“Perhaps they think we are kidding. This coming Wednesday, we will make an example of someone who proudly criticizes the Supreme Court, with a Petition for Contempt. We will get each one of you!” Topacio wrote on X.
PDP-Laban has warned lawmakers of potential charges under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act if they proceed with the impeachment trial, saying the party “will not hesitate to press charges against them.”
Factual inaccuracies?
Did the Supreme Court rely on factual inaccuracies when it ruled as unconstitutional the impeachment of Vice President Duterte?“The Supreme Court’s decision incorrectly states that the fourth impeachment complaint was filed out of time and transmitted to the Senate without plenary action,” the group said in a statement.
“House records show the fourth complaint was filed on February 5, 2025, before the adjournment of the House of Representatives and before the dismissal of the first three complaints,” it added.
In its ruling, the SC said the Articles of Impeachment filed against Duterte at the Senate, which were based on the fourth complaint, violate the one-year bar on impeachment cases against an individual.
But 1Sambayan noted that the sequence of events showed that the fourth complaint was filed and acted upon before the dismissal of the preceding three complaints.
“Therefore, the fourth complaint was adopted before the one-year bar rule applied, as the one-year bar commenced, as stated by the Supreme Court, upon the… adjournment. The SC’s factual errors invalidate its conclusion,” the group said.
“By incorrectly stating the order of events, the Court reached an erroneous conclusion regarding the timeliness of the fourth impeachment complaint,” 1Sambayan said.
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The group, which was co-founded by former SC senior associate justice Antonio Carpio, called for a re-examination of the decision and urged a correction based on the verifiable records of the House proceedings.
“Misrepresentation of facts undermines the principles of due process and fair judgment. 1Sambayan advocates for a transparent and accurate accounting of events, ensuring that future legal decisions are grounded on the truth and not flawed interpretations of the facts,” it said.
“The integrity of the judicial system demands a swift and decisive response to these inaccuracies,” added the group.
‘Spiritual wound’
Reacting to the SC decision, the Franciscan Province of San Pedro Bautista – Philippines has released a statement, calling the ruling a “national disappointment.”
“As brothers of St. Francis of Assisi, we raise our collective voice with deep sorrow and concern over the recent ruling of the Supreme Court that declared the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional,” the statement signed by Fr. Lino Gregorio Redoblado read.
“This decision, while legal in form, resonates as a spiritual wound to our people – especially the poor – whose lives are often most affected by political decisions made far from their realities,” the group added.
The religious order also called for moral responsibility among public servants, saying “to serve the people is to welcome scrutiny, to be open to dialogue and to be transparent in all actions.”
“When the law is found wanting, the Gospel must speak more clearly,” it noted. — Janvic Mateo, Daphne Galvez
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