House to appeal SC ruling on VP Duterte impeachment case

Metro Manila, Philippines - The House of Representatives will appeal the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision that declared the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional, chamber spokesperson Princess Abante said on Sunday, July 27.

Abante noted that the court ruling was based on erroneous facts and contradicts the House’s official records.

The SC ruled that the Articles of Impeachment violated the one-year period ban as the fourth complaint was transmitted by the House to the Senate on February 5, noting that the lower chamber failed to act on the first three cases filed in December.

Abante argued that the House acted on those by archiving the first three complaints as the fourth one has been signed by more than one-third of House members – a requirement that allows the Articles of Impeachment to be transmitted to the Senate without undergoing committee hearings.

“Ito ay malinaw na salungat sa opisyal na rekord at sa mga dokumentong isinumite mismo sa Korte Suprema. The conclusion drawn by the Supreme Court—that the February complaint violated the one-year bar—is therefore grounded on a factual and procedural inversion,” Abante said in a statement.

[Translation: This is a clear contradiction to the official records and documents submitted to the Supreme Court.]

Refuting the SC claim that the plenary did not vote on the Articles of Impeachment transmittal, Abante said House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe made the motion for the transmittal of the fourth complaint, which was approved in plenary.

The SC also dismissed the Articles of Impeachment due to lack of due process, which Abante said is not a requirement under the law and House rules.

“Sa madaling salita, nagbigay ang Korte ng panibagong patakaran na wala naman sa umiiral na batas. Pinawalang-bisa nila ang Articles of Impeachment base sa mga bagong pamantayan ng due process para sa respondent,” the spokesperson said.

[Translation: In other words, the Court imposed a new rule that is not in existing laws. They invalidated the Articles of Impeachment based on a new ground of due process for the respondent.]

Abante said Duterte was given due process when she was invited in the House inquiry on her alleged mismanagement of P612.5-million confidential funds, which the vice president repeatedly skipped.

“The House has also reviewed the now very stringent requirements imposed by the Court before an impeachment complaint can move forward. These are requirements that essentially amend the Constitution and represent an unacceptable intrusion into the exclusive powers of the House of Representatives,” Abante said.

The House, Abante said, is hopeful that the decision will be reversed once the facts have been corrected.

The lower chamber remained firm that the Articles of Impeachment underwent the right process.

READ: House certifies Duterte impeachment as lawful

The House impeached Duterte for her supposed confidential fund misuse, bribery, and threat against the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, among others.

Despite the SC ruling, some senators – who sit as impeachment judges – are pushing for the trial to proceed.