MANILA, Philippines – Bagamat handang maging senator-judge, nirerespeto umano ni Senador Raffy Tulfo ang mandato ng Supreme Court kaugnay sa impeachment case ni Vice President Sara Duterte.
“While I have been ready to perform my Constitutional mandate as a judge in the impeachment court, I likewise respect the mandate of the Supreme Court to determine if certain actions or processes of the other branches of government went beyond or against the provisions of our Constitution,” sinabi ni Tulfo nitong Sabado, Hulyo 26.
Batay sa kautusan na inanunsyo nitong Biyernes, idineklara ng SC en banc na ang articles of impeachment laban kay Duterte ay unconstitutional, sa pagsasabing “the House impeachment complaint versus Vice President is barred by the one-year rule and that due process or fairness applies during all stages of the impeachment.”
Sa desisyon ng SC, nakakuha ito ng 13-0 votes na immediately executory.
“Therefore, the Senate could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings,” pahayag ni SC spokesperson Camille Ting.
Noong Pebrero 5, ipinadala ng Kamara ang ikaapat na impeachment case laban kay Duterte matapos makakuha ng kabuuang 215 pirma mula sa mga mambabatas.
Kabilang sa mga pumirma ay sina House Speaker Martin Romualdez at Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, anak ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Kabilang sa grounds ng impeachment ay ang “culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and graft and corruption.”
Noong Hunyo 10, nag-convene naman ang Senado bilang impeachment court ngunit ibinalik sa Kamara ang reklamo sa pagsasabing nais nitong masiguro na hindi nilabag ang constitutional safeguards at mga isyu ng hurisdiksyon. RNT/JGC
