SC affirms initial decision declaring articles of impeachment vs Sara Duterte unconstitutional
The Supreme Court upheld its initial ruling that declared the impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte as unconstitutional.
SC spokesperson Camille Ting announced in a press briefing on Thursday, Jan. 29 that the high court has unanimously denied with finality the House of Representatives' motion for reconsideration to reverse the decision.
In its July ruling, the SC voided an impeachment complaint against Duterte for the reason that it was transmitted to the Senate without a plenary vote. They also said that the fourth impeachment complaint is barred by the one-year rule in the Constitution because there were three complaints that came ahead of it.
The high court, at the time, noted it was not absolving the VP of the charges.
The House of Representatives appealed to the SC to reconsider its decision the following month. Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez said that they filed a motion for reconsideration with the SC as an "act of duty." He recounted that on Feb. 5, the fourth impeachment complaint, filed and signed by 215 House members, was submitted to the Senate, adding that the three earlier complaints against Duterte had been archived.
Duterte is accused of misusing public funds, amassing unusual wealth, and threatening to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the House Speaker.
