Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada has no interest in signing the Senate resolution questioning the Supreme Court’s decision, which ruled Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case “unconstitutional,” claiming it would lead to disorder.
Despite not having read the contents of the said resolution, Estrada explained there is no need for any similar motion as the High Court’s unanimous decision was made very clear, reported RH 28 Raymund Dadpaas.
According to a decision dated July 25, the Supreme Court declared the Articles of Impeachment laid against Duterte unconstitutional as it violates the Constitution’s “one-year bar” provision under Article XI, Section 3(5), prohibiting multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official more than once in a year.
Estrada stressed that it is the Senate’s duty to follow this decision so as to avoid a Constitutional crisis. It would be improper for senators themselves to oppose the Supreme Court, which would set an unfavorable precedent for everyday citizens.
“Kami, mga mambabatas, gumagawa ng batas, tapos hindi kami susunod sa batas? That’s awkward. Kung kaming mambabatas, ayaw namin sundan ang Korte Suprema, ano pa kaya ‘yung mga iba? ‘Yung mga ibang ordinaryong tao na may kaso na adverse sa kanila. Hindi rin nila susundin? E, magkakagulo ‘yan,” the senator said.
(We legislators, we make laws, and then we won’t observe the law? That’s awkward. If we legislators don’t want to follow the Supreme Court, what about the others? The ordinary people who have cases that affect them adversely? They shouldn’t follow either? There will be chaos.)
Earlier, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan confirmed that four senators from the minority bloc have signed his resolution, which requests the High Court to reconsider its decision.
The Senate is set to decide on whether to scrap or proceed with the impeachment trial, in light of the Supreme Court ruling, to give senators sufficient time to go through its 97-page decision.
