The Makabayan bloc filed two separate motions on Friday, urging members of the Supreme Court to intervene and reconsider their earlier resolution that struck the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In her statement, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) Secretary General Josalee Deinla underscored that the framers of the Constitution intended impeachment to be a politically accessible tool of accountability.
The group, represented by the NUPL as counsel, prays that the High Tribunal dismiss the consolidated petitions and affirm the validity of the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate so that trial may proceed forthwith.
Among the intervenors were party-list representatives Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers), Renee Co (Kabataan), Makabayan president Liza Maza, Bayan chairperson Teodoro Casiño, Bayan president Renato Reyes, Piston president Modesto Floranda, and Sandugo convenor Amirah Lidasan, to name a few.
They argued that there was no grave abuse of discretion on the part of the House of Representatives, noting that it is presumed to have acted regularly and in good faith.
Further, said articles were not barred by the one-year ban because the first three complaints have yet to be filed and referred to the Committee on Justice, citing Francisco vs. House of Representatives.
“The Court’s new rule, which counts mere inaction or partial action as ‘initiation,’ imposes a limit absent from the Constitution and runs the risk of reducing impeachment to a race to file first, the dangers of which the Court warned in Gutierrez v. House of Representatives,” the NUPL warned.
The intervenors also insist that there is no precedence between the two modes of initiating impeachment such that the discretion which complaint to endorse to the Senate rests exclusively with the House.
Likewise, they raised that due process guarantees do not apply in the initiation stage of impeachment as the process merely sets the Senate trial in motion and the respondent will be given opportunity to defend herself.
The motion added that due process guarantees do not apply at the initiation stage of impeachment, according to the Constitution.
Co said the anger of the people “should not be archived,” and instead should be brought to the Senate floor so the trial could proceed forthwith.
She also asked everyone involved in the impeachment process to think about what they are doing.
The NUPL maintained the High Court has to realize the public clamor for the trial to proceed.
