BBM: SC Impeachment Ruling Didn't Touch on Merits

The Supreme Court's decision declaring the impeachment case filed against Vice President Sara Duterte as unconstitutional "does not have any bearing on the rightness or wrongness" of the accusations, and the country should still "try to get some answers" from her, President Marcos said yesterday.

- HELEN FLORES

At a press conference on the last day of his five-day state visit in India, Marcos said the high court only ruled on procedural issues, not on the merits of the impeachment case.

"We have to make very, very clear to everyone that the Supreme Court decision does not have any bearing on the rightness or wrongness in the impeachment case. Accountability doesn't come into it here," the President said.

"The merits of the case were not examined by the Supreme Court. This does not decide the merits of the case. It just talked about the procedure," he said.

It was the first time that Marcos commented on the SC decision on the impeachment case against Duterte since the High Court handed down its ruling last month.

On July 25, the SC unanimously declared the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional as it ruled that the complaints violated the one-year-bar rule under Article XI Section 3 Paragraph 5 of the Constitution as well as her right to due process.

The President's remarks came days after 19 senators voted to archive the impeachment case against Duterte.

Marcos indicated that some people apparently pushing for the impeachment trial have consulted him on what to do next.

"Some are asking... 'sorry, that's your problem. I don't" borrow problems - that's your problem," the Chief Executive said, without elaborating.

"It will be highly improper for me to tell my friends in the Senate and House that this is what you should do... that's highly improper. Even I would be impeached if I will do that," he said.