The Senate on Friday acknowledged the Supreme Court’s move to consolidate the petitions challenging the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and to require sworn submissions from Congress.
In a statement, Senate Impeachment Court spokesperson Reginald ‘Regie’ Tongol said the upper chamber recognized the high court’s July 8 resolution consolidating the petitions it received regarding the impeachment proceedings.
“The action of the Supreme Court in referring back to the House of Representatives mirrors the Senate Impeachment Court’s action to carefully follow procedures and establish all facts relating to the initiation of the impeachment Articles,” he said.
The Supreme Court also asked the House of Representatives and the Senate to submit verified documents and timelines regarding the complaints, particularly those filed by private citizens.
Among the required details are the status of the first three complaints and the exact dates they were endorsed by lawmakers.
The Supreme Court’s directive comes after the Senate Impeachment Court, in a June 10 order, similarly sought clarity on the House of Representatives’ initiation of the Articles of Impeachment.
Tongol said the Senate is now preparing its compliance, although much of the information being sought pertains to the procedures followed by the House.
“The Senate remains dedicated to respecting the judicial process and the sub judice rule on this matter that is why it will prudently refrain from giving any further comments in public, as should all parties,” he said.
Earlier this week, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, could dismiss the case against Duterte on jurisdictional grounds without proceeding to a full trial.
Cayetano said determining jurisdiction is fundamental to any legal process, including impeachment.
He explained that dismissal is possible if the complaint fails to meet basic requirements or falls outside the Senate’s authority to try.
Cayetano compared the impeachment court’s powers to that of quasi-judicial bodies like the Office of the Ombudsman.
He said it is standard practice for courts to first determine whether they have jurisdiction before hearing a case, and like other legal proceedings, involve initial evaluations of legal standing and procedural sufficiency.
The Senate’s formal response to the high court’s request is expected in the coming days.
