A party-list lawmaker is confident the Supreme Court will throw out a petition seeking to stop the House of Representatives from proceeding with impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, citing what he called a basic legal infirmity in how the case was brought.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said the petitioners — described as lawyers and allies of the Vice President — have no standing to file the case before the high court.
“Ito ay isang petisyon na, sa tingin ko, ibabasura ng Korte Suprema dahil wala namang ligal na personalidad itong mga abogado at alyado ng Pangalawang Pangulo na magsampa ng kasong ito,” Ridon said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.
He explained that filing as taxpayers does not give the petitioners the right to challenge impeachment proceedings. “Ang sinasabi nila, nagpa-file sila bilang taxpayers. Hindi pwede ‘yun. Kapag taxpayers’ suits, kailangan ang pinag-uusapan ay disbursement ng public funds, eh impeachment ang pinag-uusapan,” he said.
Ridon added that under the rules, only the impeachable official herself can contest such proceedings. “Ang tanging pwedeng mag-challenge ng isang impeachment proceedings ay impeachable official katulad ng Pangalawang Pangulo,” he said.
The 186-page petition asks the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order and declare that the House Committee on Justice gravely abused its discretion when it sustained the third and fourth impeachment complaints against Duterte. The petitioners argue the complaints were deficient in form and substance and should have been dismissed outright.
Ridon rejected the fishing expedition characterization, saying Congress holds full constitutional authority to issue subpoenas in aid of the proceedings. “Walang batayan ang sinasabi nila na ito ay isang malaking ‘fishing expedition,’ lalo’t higit may buong kapangyarihan ang Kongreso at komite na mag-isyu ng mga subpoena para magbigay ng paglilinaw sa mga paratang ng complainants natin,” he said.
Duterte has declined to attend the hearings, saying she would rather assist Filipinos affected by rising petroleum prices and calling the proceedings a “third fishing expedition” against her.
Despite the pending SC petition, members of the House Committee on Justice said they will continue their hearings.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega II of La Union separately predicted Duterte’s trust ratings would fall further. “Tingin ko babagsak pa ‘yang trust ratings niya. Matagal nang nakabitin ‘yung mga isyu na ‘yan na hindi niya maipaliwanag kasi wala naman siyang sagot diyan. ‘Yan ang nakatanim na sa isipan ng taong bayan, kaya ganyan kalawak ang distrust sa kanya,” he said.
Ortega cited a Pulse Asia survey in which 51.5% of respondents named alleged corruption involvement as their primary reason for distrusting the Vice President — a poll taken before Duterte declined the committee’s invitation and before the SC petition was filed.
