Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 13) — The Supreme Court (SC) will study if there is a need to consolidate the three petitions challenging the constitutionality of the transfer of ₱125-million confidential funds to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022.
This was according to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo during his Meet the Press event on Tuesday, where he also said the high court has already ordered the respondents, including Vice President Sara Duterte, to answer the petitions.
Gesmundo added that the SC will be studying if an oral presentation before the court will be needed.
“So hihintayin natin yung komento nila at pag-aaralan namin kung kinakailangan mag-set ng oral arguments, we will do that. Papaalam namin kung mag oral arguments,” he said.
[Translation: So we will have to wait for the comments and then we will study if we need to set an oral argument. We will do that. We will let you all know if we will conduct oral arguments.]
Three petitions have been filed so far questioning the OVP’s confidential funds.
On Dec. 11, the Makabayan bloc filed the third petition while the two petitions in the high court were filed by both legal and economic experts.
Among the third petitioners were ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel and former lawmakers Neri Colmenares, Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite, Eufemia Cullamat, and Raymond Palatino, former Social Welfare Secretary Judy Tuguiwalo, and 13 more progressives.
The first petition was filed on Oct. 7 by former Commission on Elections chairman Augusto Lagman, constitutionalist Christian Monsod, former Finance Undersecretary Maria Cielo Magno, and lawyer Ibarra Gutierrez III. The next was filed on Nov. 15 by former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, lawyer Manuel “Chel” Diokno, and former Senator Richard Gordon.
On Nov. 7, Vice President Sara Duterte said the OVP welcomes the chance to discuss the legality of the transfer of funds.
READ:
Petitioners ask SC to allow disclosure of confidential fund use
Petitioners ask SC to declare ₱125-M transfer for OVP’s confidential funds unconstitutional
