A group of lawyers filed a supplemental petition before the Supreme Court seeking to stop the impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Israelito Torreon, chief legal counsel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ of detained pastor Apollo Quiboloy, was joined by Martin Delgra III, former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chief; James Reserva; Hillary Olga Reserva; and Jey Rence Quilario, legal counsel of Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. in filing the 45-page supplemental petition for a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction to restrain the impeachment trial or both.
“Every act taken without resolving constitutional challenges further deepens the threat of irreversible damage not only to the petitioners, the Vice President but also to the public trust in constitutional governance,” the petitioners said.
“If this Honorable Supreme Court does not act now, its eventual decision may come too late—not because it lacks authority, but because the damage will have already occurred and cannot be reversed.”
Torreon said one of the issues they are raising is whether the impeachment complaint can cross over to the 20th Congress.
“We are of the firm belief that the same is not allowed. It is not in accordance with the principle of legislative discontinuity,” he said.
“Common sense would tell us – how can you impose your proceedings to the next Congress? Can you impose upon the next Congress your proceedings? Of course not, you give a fresh authority, you give fresh discretion to the new senators,” Torreon added.
In February, Duterte herself filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Supreme Court, challenging the validity and constitutionality of the fourth impeachment complaint against her.
Duterte’s petition sought “judicial intervention from the High Court to uphold due process and raises serious legal and constitutional concerns” regarding the fourth impeachment complaint, which she said violated the one-year ban on impeachment proceedings.
The first three impeachment complaints against Duterte were all filed in December, while the fourth one that was transmitted to the Senate was filed in February this year.
