Pimentel: SC is not supreme in impeachment matters
Published May 11, 2018 04:52 pm
By Vanne Elaine Terrazola
The Supreme Court (SC) may be the final arbiter of law, but not on "impeachment matters."
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III is invoking the authority of the Senate over Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno who today was ousted by the SC in its landmark decision favoring the quo warranto petition against her.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III (Senate of the Philippines / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
"The Supreme Court is supreme in a lot of things but not in everything. In impeachment matters, the Supreme Court is not supreme, because the Senate is the one and only impeachment court," Pimentel said in a statement he sent to reporters this afternoon.
"The Chief Justice is an 'impeachable official' who can be removed only after impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate," he added.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the House of Representatives has "the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment," while the Senate was granted the "sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment" which would be transmitted by the Lower House."
Pimentel also reminded the SC of the possible repercussions of its decision to the institution for ruling that the quo warranto petition was a proper remedy to oust the highest judiciary official.
"The reputation and esteem of this present Supreme Court will now rise or fall on the basis of the soundness or unsoundness of this controversial decision upholding a very unusual remedy to oust a sitting Chief Justice," he said.
Pimentel then urged the SC to review its decision as he maintained that the rule of law should prevail.
"Let us all uphold the RULE OF LAW. The people must be given time to review this decision. And the Supreme Court itself must also take the time to review its own decision," he said.
"Let us ALL review the decision," he added.
He added that Sereno should likewise be given the chance to appeal the ruling.
"If the Supreme Court is not supreme in everything, then it is also not infallible in everything. The respondent Chief Justice must be given the opportunity to file a Motion for Reconsideration. God bless our beloved country," Pimentel said.
The House of Representatives is yet to approve the articles of impeachment which is needed so that the Senate can convene as an impeachment court.
Some senators, however, have already expressed doubt that the House of Representatives will transmit to the Senate the grounds for Sereno's supposed impeachment after the SC, voting 8-6, granted the quo warranto petition.
House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, reacting to the SC's vote, said impeachment proceedings in Congress will "obviously" be moot and academic since Sereno would be removed from office.
House justice committee chair Rey Umali, for his part, reportedly lauded the ruling, saying lawmakers could now focus on legislative matters. He had preempted that the SC will oust Sereno.
Sereno's camp has yet to appeal the SC decision.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III (Senate of the Philippines / Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN)
"The Supreme Court is supreme in a lot of things but not in everything. In impeachment matters, the Supreme Court is not supreme, because the Senate is the one and only impeachment court," Pimentel said in a statement he sent to reporters this afternoon.
"The Chief Justice is an 'impeachable official' who can be removed only after impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate," he added.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the House of Representatives has "the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment," while the Senate was granted the "sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment" which would be transmitted by the Lower House."
Pimentel also reminded the SC of the possible repercussions of its decision to the institution for ruling that the quo warranto petition was a proper remedy to oust the highest judiciary official.
"The reputation and esteem of this present Supreme Court will now rise or fall on the basis of the soundness or unsoundness of this controversial decision upholding a very unusual remedy to oust a sitting Chief Justice," he said.
Pimentel then urged the SC to review its decision as he maintained that the rule of law should prevail.
"Let us all uphold the RULE OF LAW. The people must be given time to review this decision. And the Supreme Court itself must also take the time to review its own decision," he said.
"Let us ALL review the decision," he added.
He added that Sereno should likewise be given the chance to appeal the ruling.
"If the Supreme Court is not supreme in everything, then it is also not infallible in everything. The respondent Chief Justice must be given the opportunity to file a Motion for Reconsideration. God bless our beloved country," Pimentel said.
The House of Representatives is yet to approve the articles of impeachment which is needed so that the Senate can convene as an impeachment court.
Some senators, however, have already expressed doubt that the House of Representatives will transmit to the Senate the grounds for Sereno's supposed impeachment after the SC, voting 8-6, granted the quo warranto petition.
House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, reacting to the SC's vote, said impeachment proceedings in Congress will "obviously" be moot and academic since Sereno would be removed from office.
House justice committee chair Rey Umali, for his part, reportedly lauded the ruling, saying lawmakers could now focus on legislative matters. He had preempted that the SC will oust Sereno.
Sereno's camp has yet to appeal the SC decision.