Makabayan Bloc Appeals Supreme Court Impeachment Ruling
MANILA, Philippines — The Makabayan bloc is set to file an appeal on the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. This move aims to keep the impeachment case alive despite the Senate’s recent vote to archive the articles of impeachment.
Representatives Renee Co of Kabataan and Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers confirmed in a press briefing that they will electronically file their motion for reconsideration on Thursday and submit a physical copy the following day. Their action marks the third intervention attempt outside the House of Representatives regarding the Supreme Court’s July 25 ruling, which declared the fourth impeachment complaint—endorsed by 215 lawmakers—unconstitutional.
Other Groups Also Challenge SC Decision
Two civil society groups, including one led by Francisco Dee, nephew of former President Benigno Aquino III, along with 1Sambayan and Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network, had earlier filed their appeals on August 1 and 5, respectively.
Co expressed openness to more groups joining the intervention, stating, “We welcome everybody who wishes to intervene [in this complaint], because we want everybody to see what happened to our money and what happened to our processes to hold accountable public officials who face charges.” She added, “We need to see what happens when more people are involved in this case. We need to show we are angry about this.”
Background of the Impeachment Complaints
Former Kabataan Representative Raoul Manuel and former ACT Teachers Representative France Castro backed the second impeachment complaint filed against Duterte on December 4, 2024. The Supreme Court cited this complaint as the basis for ruling that the fourth impeachment complaint violated the one-year bar rule.
All complaints, including the Makabayan-endorsed one, accused Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft, corruption, and other high crimes. These allegations arise from her alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds during her simultaneous roles as vice president and education secretary from 2022 to 2024.
The House prosecution panel also appealed the Supreme Court’s ruling last Monday, maintaining that they had transmitted the fourth complaint before archiving and dismissing the first three complaints.
Senate’s Role and Reactions
Tinio criticized the Senate for voting 19-4-1 to archive the articles of impeachment, arguing that they should have waited for the Supreme Court’s final decision on the House appeal. He said, “They kept saying that the impeachment complaint against Duterte was mere politicking, and one even said that if they (the House) really disliked Sara, then they should defeat her in 2028 instead.”
He added, “But what this really tells us is that they were belittling, setting aside the legitimate issues surrounding her confidential funds.”
Co condemned the Senate’s vote, saying it condemns the senators “to go down in Philippine history as cowards.” She also linked the outcome to political alliances, stating, “This is another consequence of Uniteam 2.0. If they burn, if Uniteam burns, everyone goes down with them.”
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