The Philippine Supreme Court requires the House of Representatives to prove the legitimacy of the impeachment of Sara Duterte!
The Philippine Supreme Court has asked the House of Representatives to provide information related to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, including issues regarding procedure, authority, and due process.
In a notice dated July 8 but only released on July 11, the court consolidated two pending petitions: one filed by Sara Duterte herself, challenging the constitutionality of her fourth impeachment charge, and another filed by lawyers like Torreong, challenging the validity of the impeachment articles.
The court requested the House of Representatives to disclose the status of the first three impeachment complaints filed against Duterte in December 2024. All three charges involved misuse of secret funds, but none progressed in a plenary session.
The Supreme Court required the House of Representatives to clarify the following:
The time when the first three complaints were approved;
Whether the Secretary of the House has the authority to decide when to forward such complaints to the Speaker;
The legal basis for the Secretary's refusal to forward documents, if any.
Whether the members of the House had sufficient time to review the charges and supporting evidence before agreeing.
Whether the impeachment articles were included in the official agenda of the House before being approved in a plenary session.
The fourth petition received support from more than one-third of the members of the House of Representatives and is the only one submitted to the Senate, forming the basis of the formal impeachment trial.
The Supreme Court also asked the Senate to explain which committee drafted the impeachment articles and the completion date, as well as whether Sara Duterte had the opportunity to present evidence in her defense.
The Supreme Court required Congress to respond within 10 days from the date of receiving the notice.
On Friday, the spokesperson for the Senate impeachment court, Tongol, stated that the Senate was preparing its response.
"The Senate remains committed to upholding the integrity of judicial procedures and complying with the pending rules regarding this matter. Therefore, we will respectfully refrain from making further public comments until the legal proceedings are completed."
The Office of the Vice President and the House of Representatives also received copies of the Supreme Court resolution.
House spokesperson Priscilla Abente stated that the House and the Secretary of the House, Reginald Villasco, as respondents in the petitions, would comply accordingly with the Supreme Court's requirements.
Abente said that the House had already submitted the requirement to the Office of the Chief Prosecutor to ensure that the required information is submitted within the 10-day period specified by the Supreme Court.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837376688126988/
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