Third impeachment complainants vs Duterte appeal SC case dismissal

Metro Manila, Philippines - Complainants of the third impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte appealed to the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday, Aug. 11, to reverse its dismissal of the fourth impeachment bid.

The complainants filed a motion for reconsideration-in-intervention, seeking to set aside the court decision and dismiss the petitions that aim to block the impeachment trial “for lack of merit.”

READ: Third impeachment complaint vs Duterte filed

The complainants argued that the impeachment complaint does not violate the one-year bar rule and due process, in contrast to the SC decision.

“With all due respect, the Honorable Court committed factual and legal errors. The House neither neglected nor willfully failed to act on the first three (3) impeachment complaints,” the motion stated.

“In initiating an impeachment proceeding, the House exercises neither a quasi-judicial nor judicial function,” it read.

Complainants also said that the “doctrine of operative fact should apply” after the High Court imposed new requirements in the initiation of impeachment proceedings.

They even said the SC “encroached on the exclusive powers of Congress to weigh and appreciate evidence in impeachment cases.”

“When the Honorable Court imposed a quantum of evidence, it was interpreting the constitutional limits on the House and Senate’s power in impeachment cases,” they said.

The Senate archived the impeachment case following the SC ruling.

In February, 215 House members signed the fourth impeachment case which was transmitted to the Senate. The first three complaints were archived.