ASEANEWS HEADLINE-VP Du30 IMPEACHMENT | MANILA: Senators vote today on impeachment trial
Senate to tackle SC ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment | ANC
SC tells VP Sara: Comment on House MR
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate is gearing for a heated debate today as it is set to vote on whether or not to abide by the Supreme Court (SC) ruling striking down the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The Duterte bloc composed of PDP-Laban Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go and Robinhood Padilla, as well as the group of Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, are sure to clash over the issue, according to Sen. Erwin Tulfo.
The SC, meanwhile, has ordered Vice President Sara Duterte and lawyer Israelito Torreon to comment on the House of Representatives’ plea to reverse the high tribunal’s ruling that declared as unconstitutional the Articles of Impeachment.
Senators have been urged to defer today’s vote on the SC ruling, which is supposed to be immediately executory, until the ruling becomes final once all motions for reconsideration or MR have been resolved.
Duterte and Torreon have 10 days to file their comment on the MR, according to a press briefer from the SC Office of the Spokesperson.
In response, Michael Poa, the spokesman of Duterte’s legal team, said they will comply with the order “within the period provided.”
Tulfo said he would listen to both positions – the Duterte bloc saying that the Senate should abide by the SC decision to avoid a constitutional crisis and the Sotto group, which signed a Senate draft resolution urging their colleagues to defer voting on a move to dismiss pending the SC ruling on the House of Representatives’ motion for reconsideration.
“So, it looks like both sides, they have a point. So, it will just go down to your own personal decision on what you believe is right,” he said.
For Senate Deputy Minority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the Senate should respect the current SC decision pending a decision on the motion for reconsideration.
“While it is not yet final and executory, it is still the prevailing ruling and should guide us in the meantime,” he said.
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Dela Rosa, who previously tried to dismiss the case while the impeachment court was in session, said no such antics will be displayed today.
“For me, I will just listen to the motions that will emerge. I am ready to support the side that I believe is right,” he said.
Asked whether the debates on the floor today would be heated and intense, the pro-Duterte senator said: “If it’s four against 20 (senators), would it be heated?”
“There’s no need for debates. The SC has decided, why should we debate? Nobody is supreme and above than SC except God. We all know that the SC is the one tasked to interpret constitutional issues,” he added.
In its motion for reconsideration, the House argued that the SC’s ruling, which cited violations of the constitutional one-year bar rule and due process, was based on factual errors and a misinterpretation of its exclusive power to initiate impeachment proceedings.
It contended that the Court’s expanded power of judicial review is not “absolute” and accused the decision of improperly “intruding upon the House’s exclusive power.”
It said the high tribunal’s power of judicial review “cannot be used to modify clear and unambiguous provisions of the Constitution, intrude into the constitutionally vested powers of the Congress, needlessly burden constitutional mechanisms for upholding accountability of public officers and nullify legitimate actions which have been done in accordance with the existing legal framework.”
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The House asked the SC to allow Congress to perform the duties the Constitution asks of both its chambers – to initiate an impeachment proceeding for the House, and to try the same for the Senate.
‘Moral truth’
According to Antipolo Bishop Ruperto Santos, laws should be based on the moral truth and serve the common good.
Speaking over Radyo Veritas yesterday, he said that while he would not touch on legal and technical aspects of the impeachment complaint filed by the House against Duterte, he would share his moral views on the issue.
“In all things, let us remember: our hope is not in politics, but in Christ. And our mission is not to win arguments, but to build the Kingdom – one act of justice, one prayer of mercy, one life of holiness at a time,” the bishop said.
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He reminded public officials that they are servants of the people, thus they are not only accountable legally, but morally as well. As leaders, they should also be transparent, maintain their integrity and keep their humility.
During this time, the Antipolo bishop called on the Catholic faithful to remain vigilant and at the same time pray.
“When legal institutions appear divided or politicized, the faithful must not retreat into passivity. Instead, we must engage with conscience, informed by faith and guided by prayer,” he said.
March to Senate
At the same time, activist groups and church leaders urged Filipinos to troop to the Senate today amid a crucial Senate vote on the impeachment of Vice President Duterte.
Under the campaign banner “Sara Litisin,” the coalition of various sectoral organizations said the public should not stay on the sidelines and instead join them in urging senators not to terminate the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
They also encouraged people to join them in front of the Supreme Court on Aug. 12 in mass actions against the SC’s decision declaring the impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional.
“Let us remain steadfast, ever hopeful and more determined to end corruption and to seek justice for the people,” they said in a joint statement.
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Among the signatories are Most. Rev. Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos, Apostolic Vicar of Taytay; Most Rev. Broderick Pabillo, Rev. Fr. Rico Ponce of the Carmelites of the Philippine Province, Sr. Lisa Ruedas of the Daughters of Charity, Act Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co, Makabayan chairpersons France Castro and Arlene Brosas, David Michael San Juan of Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan president Renato Reyes.
The protest actions will start with a march from the Film Center to the Senate grounds at around 1:30 p.m. — Neil Jayson Servallos, Daphne Galvez, Evelyn Macairan, Emmanuel Tupas, Bella Cariaso
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