Some senators who staunchly opposed Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial welcomed the Supreme Court’s declaration on Friday that the Articles of Impeachment against her are unconstitutional.
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who argued in his privilege speech that the impeachment complaint was “Constitutionally-infirm,” and moved to dismiss it outright, said he had been “guided by the Holy Spirit.”
“When I moved for the dismissal of the impeachment complaint vs. VP Sara, I was guided by the Holy Spirit. When the SC (Supreme Court) ruled it as unconstitutional, I’m sure they were guided also by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit defeated the forces of evil! Hallelujah!” dela Rosa said in a statement
Senator Robinhood “Robin” Padilla had seconded dela Rosa’s motion and earlier filed a resolution seeking the termination of the impeachment case. He expressed gratitude to the High Court.
“Maraming salamat po sa Supreme Court, Alhamdulillah, at dahil natapos na po itong nag-antala sa pagharap natin sa mga tunay na isyu na kailangan ng Inangbayan, lalo ng taongbayan,” Padilla said.
“Magkaisa na po tayo, napakagulo na ng mundo,” he added.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, who had voted to remand the impeachment complaint back to the House of Representatives, now hopes the Senate would recognize established procedures and due process, emphasizing that the ruling frees the Senate to address the challenges currently confronting the nation, such as dealing with the aftermath of the subsequent storms.
“I welcome this decision, which serves as a vital reminder that all efforts to hold public officials accountable must be firmly grounded in legality and due process,” Estrada said.
“As a co-equal branch of government, we must abide by the decision of the Supreme Court. Even in a political process like impeachment proceedings, we must adhere to established procedures and due process to ensure that our actions are neither arbitrary nor solely driven by political agendas,” he added.
Senator Imelda “Imee” Marcos, who was vocal in her opposition to the impeachment effort, called for a stop to politicking and to respect the High Court’s decision.
“Galangin at respetuhin ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Sa mga kasamahan kong senador—trabaho na po tayo. Atupagin na natin ang kapakanan ng mamamayan. Awat muna sa pulitika!” she said in a statement.
On the other hand, Senator Risa Hontiveros, who was strongly opposed to moves seeking to delay or derail the impeachment trial, questioned how the one-year bar rule could have been violated and expressed alarm over the stipulations added by the Supreme Court in order to renew the impeachment process.
“Isa sa ipinagtataka natin ay kung paano naviolate ang “one year bar rule” ngayong iisa lang naman ang kaso na iniakyat sa Senado, ayon na rin sa desisyon mismo ng Korte Suprema sa Gutierrez vs. House of Representatives (G.R. No. 193459),” she asserted.
“As the Supreme Court explained in that decision, the clear consideration behind the one-year bar rule ‘refers to the element of time, and not the number of complaints.’ Sabi nga ng Korte Suprema: ‘The measure of protection afforded by the Constitution is that if the impeachable officer is made to undergo such ride, he or she should be made to traverse it just once,’” she explained.
On Friday, July 25, the Supreme Court declared the Articles of Impeachment unconstitutional under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and that it violates the right to due process as enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
