SC urged to reconsider ruling on VP impeachment

MANILA, Philippines — Members of civil society coalition Tindig Pilipinas yesterday filed a motion before the Supreme Court (SC), asking the High Tribunal to reconsider its decision declaring the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte as unconstitutional.

Led by its convenors Sylvia Claudio and Teresita Deles, Tindig Pilipinas filed a “motion for reconsideration ad cautelam.”

In an interview with reporters, Claudio said that apart from praying for the reversal of the SC’s ruling, their motion was also aimed at getting a “legal status” in order to participate with other parties in challenging the legality of the controversial ruling.

Claudio explained that on July 24, their group actually filed a Motion to Intervene, hoping to join possible oral arguments on the then pending petitions about the impeachment complaint against Duterte.

However, Claudio said, the SC did not entertain their motion. Instead, the high tribunal released its unanimous decision dismissing the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte for supposedly violating the one-year bar rule under the Constitution as well as Duterte’s right to due process.

“We understand that we are still requesting for legal status, based on our previous request to join the oral arguments in the Supreme Court before they decided,” Claudio said.

“But they (SC justices) had already decided, so now we are hoping to join others who want to file a motion for reconsideration,” she added.

The group, however, has yet to release a copy of their motion to the media as of last night.

The SC’s July 25 decision was in resolution of the two petitions seeking to stop the impeachment trial against Duterte and to declare the impeachment complaint null and void – one filed by Duterte herself and the other by several lawyers led by Israelito Torreon.

Respondents in the petitions were the Senate, represented by Senate President Francis Escudero, the House of Representatives, represented by Speaker Martin Romualdez and the House secretary-general Reginald Velasco.

Claudio said their group wanted to be allowed to challenge the decision “because we disagree severely with what the Supreme Court has decided about the impeachment case.”

Meanwhile, Tindig Pilipinas asked the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial in accordance with what was stated in the Constitution.

“We urge the Senate to continue the impeachment trial, forthwith. We believe that the Supreme Court overstepped the Senate [process]. The Senate has already started with the impeachment proceedings and the Constitution is clear that it is the Senate which has mandate to hold impeachment trial,” Claudio said.

Several senators have also said the impeachment trial must pro- ceed until the SC issues a final ruling on the issue. –  Bella Cariaso, Jose Rodel Clapano, Janvic Mateo