De Lima Apologizes for Supreme Court Ruling Comments
Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima has expressed regret and apologized to the Supreme Court for describing its decision on the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte as an “ex-parte” or one-sided ruling. De Lima acknowledged her earlier statement unfairly criticized the Court’s handling of the impeachment case.
“I regret and most humbly apologize to the Supreme Court for characterizing the impeachment decision as ex-parte,” she said in a public statement issued on Saturday.
De Lima admitted that her previous claim—saying the House of Representatives was not allowed to comment on the impeachment petitions—was based on incorrect information and was “grossly ill-advised.”
“Definitely, it is not my intention to falsely accuse the Supreme Court of not considering the side of the respondent House of Representatives,” she added. “It is plainly evident in the decision, which I was able to read only after the release of my statement yesterday, that the House’s comments in the two impeachment petitions were indeed considered by the Court.”
Taking full responsibility, De Lima said, “There is no excuse for this mistake, and I bear full responsibility for the same.”
Supreme Court Declares Impeachment Case Unconstitutional
On Friday, the Supreme Court declared the impeachment articles filed against Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional. The Court ruled that the Senate could not take jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings because of this.
Earlier, after the ruling was announced, De Lima criticized the decision as “not only unprecedented but also procedurally questionable.” She argued that it was a judgment made without hearing both parties, claiming the House of Representatives—the main respondent—was not given a chance to file a formal comment as required by court rules.
She pointed out that instead of a formal comment, the Court sent a written interrogatory to the House, which she described as a rare and irregular procedure. De Lima questioned how the Court could issue a final decision without a formal response from the respondent, comparing the lack of due process unfavorably even to minor legal infractions.
“The decision is basically an ex-parte decision, a very prohibited action among judges when the rules require the parties to be given the opportunity to be heard first,” she said.
Background of Impeachment Complaint Against Duterte
On February 5, Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives after more than one-third of its members—215 lawmakers—signed the complaint. The charges cited included culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and graft and corruption.
The Senate convened as an impeachment court on June 10 but returned the complaint to the House within hours. The Senate cited concerns over constitutional safeguards and jurisdictional issues that needed to be resolved before proceeding further.
For more news and updates on De Lima’s apology and Supreme Court rulings, visit Filipinokami.com.
