House to revise impeachment rules after SC ruling

The House of Representatives will revise accordingly its impeachment rules after the Supreme Court denied the motion for reconsideration of the SC's earlier ruling declaring as unconstitutional the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

- By JOSE RODEL CLAPANO

"As a member of the House prosecution team and of the House committee on justice, I will confer with my colleagues on how best to revise the rules on impeachment as we deem fit and in ways that comply with the Supreme Court decision," Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua said.

"We will receive inputs from the complainants, some of whom are now members of the House," Chua added.

Chua, who chairs the House committee on good government and public accountability, said it is possible that the composition of the prosecution team will have some changes.

"While I do not agree with the Supreme Court decision, we will abide by it because as a lawyer, I am an officer of the court and swore to respect and uphold our system anchored on the rule of law," Chua said.

For his part, Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores said that Congress will heed the Supreme Court as final arbiter on constitutional and legal matters.

"There still might be some elbow room on how the House can reflect the due process requirements stated in the SC decision but still upholding the constitutional prerogatives and authority of the House on impeachment matters," Flores said.

Be creative

Lawyer Rene Sarmiento, one of the framers of the Constitution, told "Storycon" on One News that he expected the House to be "creative" in abiding by the SC ruling while asserting its exclusive power on impeachment.