The Supreme Court has directed the Senate to submit a comment on a petition urging it to act promptly on the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The petition was filed by former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) special counsel, Atty. Catalino Generillo.
In his 22-page petition, Generillo argued that the Constitution does not allow the Senate to delay its duties, whether due to recess or session breaks. He emphasized that the Senate has a constitutional obligation to convene as an impeachment court as soon as it receives the Articles of Impeachment from the House of Representatives.
A copy of the petition was also sent to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and the Office of the Solicitor General.
Meanwhile, on the same day, a group of lawyers from Mindanao also filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking to halt the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.
The petition was led by Atty. Israelito Torreon, legal counsel of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, and former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III. Other signatories included Atty. James Reserva, Atty. Hillary Olga Reserva, and several other lawyers from Davao, along with Duterte’s supporters.
According to the petitioners, the House of Representatives allegedly abused its power in pursuing the impeachment case against the vice president. The lawyers also claimed that the complaint filed against Duterte was defective and questionable.
