Senate Has Sole Power to Decide VP Duterte Impeachment Case, Retired Justices Say

Four retired Supreme Court justices have asserted that the Philippine Senate holds the "sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment," emphasizing a constitutional provision as legal opinions were presented on Wednesday during the 26th day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial. The former justices highlighted this constitutional mandate, underscoring the Senate's pivotal role in impeachment proceedings. Their opinions were submitted as amici curiae (friends of the court) and carry significant weight in the ongoing legal discourse surrounding the Vice President's impeachment trial and the boundaries of constitutional powers. The impeachment process in the Philippines, as outlined in Article XI of the Constitution, allows for the impeachment of the President, Vice President, Supreme Court Justices, Ombudsman, and members of the Constitutional Courts. The Senate is vested with the authority to conduct impeachment trials, requiring a two-thirds vote of its members to convict. The intervention by the retired justices serves to reaffirm the Senate's exclusive jurisdiction in such matters, reinforcing its independence and finality in impeachment decisions. This development is expected to further fuel discussions on the separation of powers within the Philippine political landscape.