Palace to Congress: Don't abuse power of the purse

There are "around 19 to 20" senators who want to abide by the Supreme Court ruling striking down as unconstitutional the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said.

- MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

Estrada, whose father Joseph Estrada was impeached as president, estimated that he and the other senators are for following the Supreme Court (SC) ruling that blocked the trial ostensibly because of the House of Representatives' violation of the ban on initiating more than one impeachment complaint within one year.

"The Supreme Court is the highest court of the land. Their decision is executory and it forms part of the fundamental law of the land. So we have to abide with the ruling," Estrada said Thursday night.

Other senators, however, cautioned that the SC ruling could not be considered final until motions for reconsideration have been entertained and resolved. A petition for MR was filed yesterday by a civil society group, with another expected to be filed next week by the House of Representatives.

Until a final ruling bars the impeachment, the Senate must carry out its constitutional duty to proceed with the trial, according to some of the senators.