📷Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce EnrileÂ
Veteran politician and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile warned that the Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC) recent rally could set a harmful precedent for the country’s rule of law.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening, Enrile expressed alarm over the INC’s influence and the logic behind its participation in the “National Rally for Peace” held in Manila on Monday. The rally called for the dismissal of impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
Enrile questioned whether the massive religious group, with its millions of members, should have the power to alter the Constitution or suspend its provisions.
“There is a bigger question. Can the INC, with all its members, amend the Constitution or suspend any of its provisions? Are we prepared to discard or sacrifice the value of RULE OF LAW for a person or a group of persons?” Enrile wrote.
The former lawmaker also further pointed out that impeachment is a constitutional process designed to remove government officials from office if grounds and evidence exist, but does not equate to imprisonment or punishment “if there is a ground and evidence to support it.”
Enrile, tasked to advise President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on legal matters, also warned that allowing rallies such as the INC’s to influence legal proceedings could undermine the democratic process and the rule of law.
“As a nation and a state, we will incur a very detrimental precedent if we follow the logic implicit in the INC rally they mounted,” Enrile said.
When asked about Enrile’s remarks, INC spokesperson Edwil Zabala declined to comment.
Duterte is currently facing three impeachment complaints in the House of Representatives. The allegations against her include culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and other serious offenses.
All three complaints claim that she misappropriated millions of pesos in confidential funds during her tenure as Vice President and Education Secretary.
In late 2024, President Marcos acknowledged that he had discouraged his allies in Congress from pursuing impeachment complaints against Duterte, believing it would be futile and a distraction from governance. (TCSP)
