VICE President Sara Z. Duterte and her allies are free to challenge the Senate impeachment court’s new voting-threshold ruling before the Supreme Court if they believe they have a case, House prosecutor Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said Thursday.
“Pwede naman po silang pumunta sa Korte Suprema kung tingin nila meron silang kaso. Wala hong nagtitigil sa kanilang magpunta roon,” Ridon said during an online press briefing.
Ridon said the prosecution would not stand in the way of Duterte’s camp pursuing whatever legal remedies it believes are available after the impeachment court abandoned the fixed 16-vote threshold.
He said prosecutors would also abide by whatever the SC decides should a challenge eventually reach the high court.
“So wala pong problema. We will wait for that petition, and kung anuman po ’yung magiging pasya ng Korte Suprema, tatalima lang po kami,” Ridon said.
The impeachment court on Wednesday voted 13-1, with six senator-judges not participating, to overturn its earlier interpretation that the constitutional requirement of two-thirds of all Senate members automatically meant 16 votes.
Under the new ruling, the denominator will be based on senators who, at the time of the verdict, are legally and factually capable of participating in the proceedings.
The decision has prompted Duterte’s camp and allies to question the revised formula and raise the possibility of seeking SC intervention.
Ridon said Duterte herself could bring the issue before the high tribunal if she chooses.
“Kung handa po ’yung Pangalawang Pangulo to go there, then she can go there,” he said.
He gave the same response to Duterte spokesperson Paolo Panelo, who is not part of the formal defense panel but has publicly criticized the threshold ruling.
“If Atty. Panelo, as not part of the defense panel, would want to go there, then he can go there,” Ridon said.
Ridon said Duterte’s political allies were likewise free to seek judicial intervention.
“So wala pong nagbabawal sa kahit sinuman. If her allies would want to go to the Supreme Court, like what they did before, they are free to go there,” he said.
The threshold ruling does not set a new fixed number of votes required to convict Duterte. The required number will depend on the denominator when the impeachment court eventually votes on the verdict.
The impeachment trial continues with prosecutors still presenting evidence against Duterte.
metrosundaily
