The Supreme Court has dismissed the petitions filed by Vice President Sara Duterte and lawyer Israelito Torreon questioning the legality of the House impeachment proceedings.
In a resolution released Wednesday, Aug. 5, the SC En Banc ruled that the petitions had already become moot after the House of Representatives transmitted the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.
According to the High Court, the transmittal marked the completion of the House’s constitutional role and the start of the Senate’s function as an impeachment court.
The justices said any ruling on the issues raised by Duterte and Torreon would no longer have any practical effect because the impeachment process had already moved to the Senate.
The Court also rejected the argument that it should still rule on the constitutional issues despite the cases becoming moot, saying none of the recognized exceptions applied.
Torreon questioned the House Committee on Justice’s actions during the impeachment proceedings, while Duterte argued that the House violated constitutional safeguards, including due process and the one-year bar rule.
With the dismissal of the petitions, the impeachment trial will continue before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.IMT
