SC to Congress: Submit details on VP impeach trial

The Supreme Court (SC) has taken due course on the petitions seeking to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte and ordered the Senate and the House of Representatives to submit details pertaining to the initiation of the case and the impending trial.

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a resolution dated July 8, made known to the media only yesterday, the SC resolved to consolidate the two petitions seeking to stop the impeachment trial against Duterte and to declare the impeachment complaint null and void — one filed by Duterte herself and the other by several lawyers led by Israelito Torreon.

"In order to assist" the justices in resolving the petitions, the SC directed the Senate and the House to submit, within 10 calendar days from their receipt of the resolution, a written reply providing details on the initiation of the impeachment case against Duterte.

Among the issues that the SC wanted answered by Congress was the length of time from the initiation of the impeachment complaints by private citizens until the House's transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, as well as whether Duterte was given the opportunity to be heard before the House members voted for the transmittal of articles to the Senate.

Specifically, the SC asked the House to comment on the status of the three impeachment complaints against Duterte filed by private citizens, and the authority of the House secretary general to hold off the endorsement of these three complaints to the House Speaker.

Three impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte late last year but they were never tackled in the plenary.

Instead, the House with 215 votes approved a fourth impeachment complaint last Feb. 5, which was immediately followed by the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.

The SC, in its resolution, directed the House to comment as to "which office or committee prepared the draft of the Articles of Impeachment" transmitted to the Senate.