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TULAD ng inaasahan, umapela sa Korte Suprema ang Philippine Constitution Association (PHILCONSA) kaugnay ng desisyong nagdedeklarang “unconstitutional” ang Articles of Impeachment laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte.
Sa apat na pahinang pahayag na nilagdaan ni PHILCONSA Chairman at dating SC Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, inilarawan ng dating punong mahistrado ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema bilang banta sa balanse ng kapangyarihan na nakapaloob sa 1987 Constitution.
Giit ng PHILCONSA, dapat muling suriin ng Korte Suprema ang naturang desisyon dahil posibleng nilalabag nito ang mahalagang prinsipyo ng Konstitusyon, kabilang na ang separation of powers at ang eksklusibong kapangyarihan ng Kamara de Representantes na magsimula ng proseso ng impeachment.
“Decisions of the Supreme Court that rearrange the particles of the principle of separation of power, redefine the limits of power of government or change the calculus of the balance of power between and among the three (3) branches of our government demand their strictest scrutiny, for the slightest of error can bring about a tyrannicide that will incinerate our Constitution,” ang nakasaad pa sa four-page statement.
Binigyang-diin ng PHILCONSA, ang pinakamatandang nonpartisan na organisasyon sa bansa na nagtataguyod ng Konstitusyon, na naglabas ng desisyon ang Korte Suprema nang hindi dumaan sa pagsusuri ng trial court o Court of Appeals, at sa halip ay dumepende sa mga “dubious” at hindi napatunayang report.
“Hearsay evidence is forbidden in the search for truth for it denies due process to the prejudiced party. We therefore urge the Supreme Court to review the salient facts it relied upon in its Decision to make sure the facts speak the truth, for only a Decision based on indubitable facts can stand time and its vicissitudes,” anang PHILCONSA.
Ipinahayag din ng PHILCONSA ang pagkabahala nito sa pagtakda ng Korte Suprema ng pitong bagong panuntunan para sa paghawak ng Kamara ng mga impeachment case, na ayon sa grupo ay lumalabag sa probisyon ng Konstitusyon na nagbibigay ng eksklusibong kapangyarihan sa Kamara upang simulan ang impeachment.
“With due respect, we express grave concern on the imposition of these new seven (7) rules, written by the Supreme Court itself for the House to comply with. We submit that it violates Article XI (3) of the Constitution that provides: ‘The House of Representatives shall have the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment,’” dagdag ng PHILCONSA.
Ayon pa sa naturang organisasyon, ang mga miyembro ng Kamara, na pawang halal ng taumbayan, ang may pananagutan sa mga ito, hindi sa Korte Suprema. Nagbabala rin ang PHILCONSA na ang pagbibigay kapangyarihan sa hudikatura upang suriin ang “sufficiency of evidence” at “reasonableness of time” ay panghihimasok sa kalayaan ng lehislatura.
“The Rules made by the Court, which gifted itself the power to determine the sufficiency of evidence and the reasonableness of time given to all members of the House to reach an independent decision, cannot but raise eyebrows.”
“It tilted the balance of power in its favor. It runs counter to the advice that in interpreting the Constitution, the role of justices is to serve strictly as umpires. They should not act as pitchers or batters in favor of any party,” dagdag pa nila.
Tinutulan din ng asosasyon ang rekisito na bigyan ng due process ang respondent sa yugto ng impeachment sa Kamara, na anila’y angkop sa paglilitis sa Senado.
“The right of respondent to due process should be invoked in the Senate Impeachment Court when respondent goes to trial,” giit ng PHILCONSA.
Dagdag pa nila, “The trial stage is the legal component of the impeachment process. The familiar learning is that the right to be heard is satisfied when the respondent is heard before any judgment is handed down. It need not necessarily be accorded before or at the start of the judicial proceedings.”
Ayon sa PHILCONSA, pinahihina ng bagong mga panuntunan ng Korte Suprema ang konstitusyonal na kapangyarihan ng Kamara kaya’t dapat itong muling pag-aralan.
“In fine, the new Rules written by the Court for the House to follow will render nugatory the exclusive power of the House to initiate all impeachment cases. We beg the Court to revisit the constitutionality of the new Rules it wrote for the House,” giit ng grupo.
Sa huli, binalaan ng PHILCONSA ang Korte Suprema laban sa sobrang panghihimasok at nanawagan ng paggalang sa hangganan ng kapangyarihan ng bawat sangay ng pamahalaan.
“Our Constitution is based on democracy and not on the monocracy of any branch of government. It will endure only if we are able to preserve the pristine principles of separation of power, checks and balances, accountability of officials, a public office is a public trust and the sovereignty of the people from whom all powers of government emanate,” anila.
Saad pa ng grupo, “There ought to be no reckless tinkering of the balance of power, for any erroneous micro movement will have macro consequences on our fragile democracy. We call on the Supreme Court to avoid the political thicket, where there are too many unknowns and unknowables, and thus avoid the tyranny of intangibles. God bless the Supreme Court.” (ROMEO ALLAN BUTUYAN II)
