1Sambayan Calls to Halt Senate Impeachment Action
MANILA, Philippines — The coalition 1Sambayan, made up of retired Supreme Court justices, lawyers, former government officials, and civic groups, has urged the Supreme Court to issue a status quo ante order to stop any Senate action on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a motion filed Tuesday, 1Sambayan emphasized that allowing the Senate to proceed with a vote to dismiss the impeachment case could cause confusion and potentially nullify the motions for reconsideration currently before the High Court.
“Included as one of the prayers in our petition is a status quo ante order. This means to pause and stop for a while. We should review and look back at the decision,” said Atty. Howard Calleja. He clarified, “This is not an affront to the Supreme Court. This is a part of our legal and academic challenge on the merits, not on any personality.”
Understanding the Status Quo Ante Order
A status quo ante order (SQAO) aims to preserve the last peaceful and uncontested state before the controversy—in this case, the status before the impeachment complaint was filed in the Senate.
The petitioners-intervenors argued that to fully hear all arguments, it is prudent for the Supreme Court to grant the SQAO, preventing the Senate from taking definitive actions like dismissing the Articles of Impeachment amid unresolved constitutional questions.
Local leaders noted that the Supreme Court’s July 25 ruling introduced new procedural requirements intended to ensure fairness. However, the House of Representatives countered in its motion for reconsideration that these new requirements are not found in the Constitution.
Procedural Disputes and Public Support
1Sambayan maintained that the House correctly followed procedures applicable at the time the impeachment complaints were filed. The coalition highlighted broad backing for their motion, including academics, civil society groups, former officials, religious leaders, and military members.
They stressed that the impeachment case transcends political clashes and touches on a vital issue of accountability affecting all Filipinos.
Public Outcry and Protests
Before 1Sambayan filed its motion to intervene and request reconsideration, multiple groups gathered at the Supreme Court to protest its ruling. The group TAMA NA submitted a letter urging the justices to reverse the July 25 decision that declared the impeachment case unconstitutional.
In the afternoon, more demonstrators rallied, symbolically tearing copies of the ruling. Protesters claimed the Supreme Court’s decision undermines the democratic process to hold high officials accountable, effectively shielding those in power from allegations of corruption and betrayal of public trust.
For more news and updates on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment, visit Filipinokami.com.
