Supreme Court Ruling Deemed a Setback for Democracy

DAVAO CITY — Davao lawyers view the recent Supreme Court ruling on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte as a setback for democracy and accountability.

Lawyer Arvin Dexter Lopoz, spokesperson of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM), expressed his concern on Facebook, stating that the decision by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen has made it more challenging for ordinary citizens to file an impeachment complaint against an impeachable officer.

The recent SC ruling introduced additional requirements to the impeachment process, mandating that the impeachable officer must be given due process and notified at the House of Representatives (HoR) level before proceeding to the impeachment trial, even after meeting the constitutional threshold of one-third of HoR members signing the complaint.

Lopoz emphasized that the ruling makes it exceedingly difficult for citizens to hold impeachable officers accountable for their actions, ultimately weakening accountability and democracy.

The UPLM is currently preparing a formal statement on the issue, while Lawyer Romeo Cabarde from the Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy (Apila) Center raised concerns about the ruling creating a loophole that could be exploited to block legitimate impeachment attempts.

Cabarde highlighted a flawed interpretation of the initiation of impeachment proceedings, which could potentially allow frivolous complaints to obstruct genuine accountability efforts for up to a year.

He criticized the decision for redefining the initiation process and warned against the abuse of such a precedent by House leadership to shield high-ranking officials from accountability.

Lopoz echoed the need to uphold the integrity of the impeachment process and prevent its manipulation for political gain, emphasizing the importance of genuine accountability in a democratic society.

According to the source: Inquirer.net.