Petition to convene impeachment court an ‘urgent case’ - SC

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) has classified as an “urgent case” a petition that sought to convene the impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Feb. 18, SC spokesperson Camille Ting said the court acted fast since “impeachment is a nationwide concern… because of the gravity of the matter.”

“In general, the Supreme Court is tasked to determine if the - let’s say the impeachment proceedings or impeachment rules are in accordance with the Constitution, and if there’s grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Senate,” she said.

Catalino Generillo Jr., in his mandamus petition, asked the SC to compel the Senate to convene as an impeachment court and begin the trial.

The SC required the Senate to comment within 10 days.

Senate President Chiz Escudero earlier said the impeachment trial might begin in July after the State of the Nation Address in July.

The House impeached Duterte with 215 complainants over, among others, her threat on the lives of the president, First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and her supposed mismanagement of P612.5 million in confidential funds.