Supreme Court Dismisses Petitions Against VP Duterte's Impeachment Proceedings

The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the consolidated petitions questioning the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte at the House of Representatives, ruling that the issues raised had become moot and academic as the Articles of Impeachment had been approved and transmitted to the Senate. The tribunal, in a press briefer posted on the SC’s website Wednesday afternoon, stated that the issues raised in the petitions had become moot and academic, citing the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. The SC also separately dismissed the petitions filed by lawyer Israelito Torreon and Duterte herself. Petitioners had argued that the House committee on justice exceeded its constitutional authority by gathering evidence and compelling witnesses to appear during the initial review of the impeachment proceedings. They also questioned the committee’s findings that the complaints were sufficient in form, substance, and grounds. The SC said the actions the petitioners sought to stop had already been completed with the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment, and further held that the Senate had begun proceedings. "Any ruling on the validity of the actions taken by the House and its Committee on Justice would no longer affect the controversy," the Court stated. "While the SC recognized that it may, in exceptional cases, decide issues that have become moot, it found that none of the recognized exceptions applied in this case," it added. The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, began the trial last month, with the prosecution already done with the presentation of witnesses for Article IV (grave threats). From August 3 to 5, the impeachment court had heard testimonies from prosecution witnesses on Article I alleging misuse of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education during Duterte’s time as secretary.