📷: Kabataan Partylist | FB
The Makabayan bloc has issued a scathing rebuke of the Supreme Court’s decision to halt the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, calling it a “legal cover for impunity” and a blow to democratic accountability.
In a strongly worded press statement, the progressive lawmakers, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co, condemned the High Court’s ruling, which declared the impeachment articles unconstitutional due to alleged violations of the one-year rule and due process.
The bloc argued that the decision effectively buries the Senate’s jurisdiction over the case and shields Duterte from facing trial for the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds during her tenure as Vice President and former Education Secretary.
Makabayan lawmakers claimed the ruling is part of a broader campaign by the ruling elite to protect Duterte from scrutiny.
They cited the President’s vocal opposition to the impeachment, the Senate’s earlier decision to return the articles to the House, and now the Supreme Court’s intervention as coordinated efforts to suppress accountability.
“This is not due process—it is the institutionalization of impunity,” the bloc said, warning that the ruling sets dangerous precedents that erode constitutional checks and balances.
Central to the bloc’s criticism is the interpretation of Section 3(4), Article XI of the Constitution, which mandates that an impeachment complaint endorsed by one-third of House members should automatically trigger a Senate trial.
The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the February 2025 complaint violated the one-year bar due to earlier unacted complaints filed in December 2024. It also cited the Vice President’s lack of opportunity to respond to the charges as a due process violation.
Legal experts and opposition senators have expressed concern over the ruling’s implications, with some arguing that the Court overstepped its bounds and imposed requirements not found in the Constitution.
The Makabayan bloc urged the public to join mass mobilizations during the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA), framing the issue as part of a broader struggle against corruption, environmental destruction, and bureaucratic collusion.
“No matter how many storms we face, we will fight for justice,” the statement read.
Progressive groups, legal unions, and youth organizations say the fight is far from over and vowed to continue protests and pursue alternative avenues for justice.
“The people’s demand for accountability will never be silenced. History will judge those who protect the plunderers and those who continue the struggle for truth and justice. Tuloy ang laban para sa hustisya at pananagutan—sa Kongreso, sa kalsada, at sa bawat komunidad.” (ZIA LUNA)
