A senior House leader on Sunday backed the call of the country’s prominent business groups urging the Supreme Court (SC) to reconsider its ruling that voided the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The appeal from the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Integrity Initiative, and Justice Reform Initiative underscored deepening public concern over the erosion of transparency and accountability in government, LA Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V of La Union said.
“When leading business groups warn that impunity is being institutionalized, the Court must listen. Transparency is non-negotiable, and accountability cannot be optional,” he said.
The country’s most influential business organizations have joined legal and judicial advocates in calling on the SC to rule in favor of the House of Representatives’ appeal to reverse its decision.
“We join a nation hopeful that the Supreme Court shall steadfastly resume its role in defending the Constitution that the Filipino people have ratified at a pivotal time in our history,” the MBC, MAP, Integrity Initiative, and Justice Reform Initiative said in a joint statement Friday.
‘House will prioritize investments that truly change lives — agriculture for food security, infrastructure for connectivity and jobs, education for opportunity, health for all, and defense and disaster preparedness for national safety’
– Speaker Martin Romualdez
“We beg the Court to guard against the erosion of the constitutional design that can set aside the people’s sovereign will. Our fidelity must always be to the principle that no one stands above the Constitution, and no government official is supreme over the Filipino people they are sworn to faithfully serve,” the groups added.
The four organizations also warned that “the decision of the [Supreme] Court as it stands sends a dangerous signal throughout the bureaucracy that abuse of power and corruption carry no consequence.”
Ortega echoed their concerns, stressing that impeachment is a constitutional safeguard designed to promote transparency, not a political weapon.
“Impeachment exists to protect the people and ensure accountability at the highest levels of government,” he said.
“Blocking even the initiation of that process through legal technicalities deprives the public of their right to know — and their right to demand answers,” he added.
The SC voided the impeachment case on the grounds that the fourth complaint filed in February 2025 violated the one-year bar rule.
Ortega warned that the SC’s interpretation of the Constitution not only undermined legal precedent but also opened the door to unchecked power.
“What the Court has done is create a shield for high-ranking officials to avoid scrutiny. That sets a dangerous precedent and weakens the very foundation of democratic accountability,” he said.
The business groups, meanwhile, cited potential risks such as rising costs of doing business, strained supply chains, and reduced investor confidence.
“You cannot separate transparency from economic resilience. If institutions appear unwilling or unable to hold officials accountable, confidence both political and financial begins to crumble,” Ortega said.
He urged the SC to take the motion for reconsideration seriously and restore integrity to the process by allowing the case to proceed on its merits.
“This is not about partisanship. It is about principle. The Constitution gives the people a right to demand accountability — and that right must not be denied through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
“Let the truth come out. Let transparency prevail,” he maintained.
