Charter experts

"PhilConsa submits that no such requirement exists under the Constitution or established impeachment practice.

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or defeat the trial, he said. To create such a requirement ex post facto undermines both the separation of powers and the rule of law," Puno said.

The group also raised concern about due process and impartiality because senators, as members of the impeachment court, were the ones who raised possible defenses on behalf of Duterte, he said.

Puno urged the Senate to uphold its constitutional duty and proceed with the impeachment.

"At stake is not merely the fate of one official, but the integrity of the Constitution itself. Impeachment is the people's mechanism to enforce Accountability of Public Officials. It must not be thwarted by procedural invention or partisan maneuver," he said.

In returning the case to the House, the Senate asked it to certify its compliance with the Constitution in the impeachment process, and for the 20th Congress of the House to signify its willingness to pursue the case.

Puno warned that any act or device that circumvents the Senate's constitutional duty to hold the impeachment trial "gravely imperils our democratic institutions."

"The Filipino people are watching. The Constitution commands it. The importance of Accountability of public officials cannot be overstressed. Circumlocutory compliance with the Constitution destroys the rule of law which is the bedrock of democracy," he added.