MANILA, Philippines – Ibinasura ng Supreme Court ang tatlong magkakahiwalay na petisyon na kumukuwestyon sa voting threshold para ma-convict si Vice President Sara Duterte dahil “constitutionally bulletproof” ang ruling ng Impeachment Court.
Ganito ang pahayag ni Atty. Regie Tongol, spokesperson ng Senate Impeachment Court, sa pagbasura sa petisyon nina Victor D. Rodriguez, Berteni Cataluña Causing, at Atty. Ernesto B. Francisco Jr. dahil sa “procedural grounds — specifically lack of standing and prematurity.”
Ibig sabihin, hindi umabot sa usapin ng nilalaman ang Korte Suprema. Ang nakita nilang problema ay: Lack of standing – hindi sila ang tamang partido para maghain ng kaso at Prematurity – masyadong maaga ang paghahain dahil wala pa namang aktwal na botohan.
“Constitutionally bulletproof,” ayon sa Impeachment Court
Tinawag ni Tongol na “decisive action” ang ginawa ng Korte Suprema na pawang “effectively confirms the interpretations and proceedings of the Senate Impeachment Court are constitutionally bulletproof.”
“By junking these challenges, the Highest Court has drawn a definitive firewall around the independence of the Senate as an Impeachment Court, confirming that its proceedings cannot be held hostage by premature judicial meddling or collateral litigation,” dagdag ni Tongol.
Kinuwestyon sa mga petisyon ang September 23 ruling ng Senate Impeachment Court na nagsasabing ang “two-thirds vote” para sa conviction ay ibabase sa “Senators present and voting” at hindi sa “all 24 members of the Senate.”
Ibig sabihin, kung 18 lang ang present, 12 boto lang ang kailangan para ma-convict, imbes na 16 out of 24 kung susundin ang literal na “all members.”
Giit ni Tongol, nananatiling buo at walang pagbabago ang September 23 ruling ng Impeachment Court.
“The Impeachment Court’s September 23 ruling stands undisturbed and shall continue to perform its constitutional mandate to solely try and decide the impeachment case before it without unnecessary stalling or external distractions,” aniya.
Dahil dito, magpapatuloy ang impeachment trial ni VP Sara. Ernie Reyes
