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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC could ultimately decide if Senate should conduct VP impeachment trial ASAP—Pangilinan

SC could ultimately decide if Senate should conduct VP impeachment trial ASAP—Pangilinan

Published Feb 15, 2025 06:15 am

Senatorial aspirant Kiko Pangilinan believes that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte might reach the Supreme Court because of questions regarding its timeline.

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Senator Risa Hontiveros and senatorial aspirant Kiko Pangilinan check the prevailing prices of rice and other basic goods during a visit in Muñoz Market on Quezon Cirty on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Kiko Pangilinan/Facebook)

 

Speaking to reporters after he visited the Muñoz Market in Quezon City with Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday, Feb. 15, the former senator said that the High Court will be the final arbiter on the matter of the Senate convening as an impeachment court.
 

“Dahil dito sa maraming debateng kung kailan ba gagawin, palagay ko aabot ito sa Korte Suprema na maaaring dalhin ng iba pang grupo sa sinasabing minamadali, gustong agad na kumilos (Because of the debates on when it should be done, I think this will reach the Supreme Court because other groups who want [the Senate to convene] will bring this before the court),” Pangilinan, who is also a lawyer, explained.
 

“I think, ultimately, may mga justiciable questions ito. Supreme Court ang magiging paraan para maresolve ito (there are justiciable questions here. Supreme Court will be the way to resolve this),” he added.
 

Amid varying legal opinions, the former senator agreed that public accountability “is really an issue in any election.”
 

Hontiveros, on the other hand, underscored the importance for the Senate to stay true to its mandate.
 

“Kung mahihinog yung  proseso ng impeachment, magiging isa ako sa senator-judge so impartial kami doon (If the impeachment process will ripen, I’ll be one of the senator-judge so I’m impartial to that),” she said.
 

“Ang sa amin lang ang pinakamataas na prinsipyo ay sundin yung aming mandato na galing sa mga mga mamamayan (For us, the highest principle is to follow our mandate from the people),” the lone opposition senator added.
 

Their comments came after lawyer Catalino Generillo Jr. filed a petition before the Supreme Court, asking it to direct Senate members to constitute themselves into an impeachment court immediately even if Congress is on recess.
 

In the petition filed on Friday, Feb. 14, the lawyer argued that Senate has a constitutional duty to start the impeachment trial for the Vice President based on the 1987 Constitution.
 

The argument on whether the Senate should start with the impeachment trial while on recess or after the May 2025 midterm elections began after the Senate adjourned session on Feb. 5 without tackling the Articles of Impeachment transmitted by the House of Representatives on the same day.
 

Senate President Francis Escudero argued that Senate cannot legally begin the impeachment trial when it is on recess, and that the impeachment case was not referred to the plenary before it went on a break.
 

But according to the petition, a “trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed” after at least one-third of the House of Representatives transmitted a verified impeachment complaint to the Senate.

Related Tags

Impeachment Supreme Court Kiko Pangilinan Sara Duterte
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