Senate impeachment court has 'absolute' jurisdiction over Sara Duterte case: spokesperson

The Senate impeachment court now holds "absolute" jurisdiction over the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte, its spokesperson said Thursday. Senate impeachment court spokesperson Reginald Tongol said this developed following the recent Supreme Court (SC) decision dismissing the consolidated petitions challenging the House of Representatives’ impeachment proceedings Duterte on the grounds of mootness. “Sa pag-dismiss ng High Court sa mga kasong ito dahil moot na ang isyu, kinumpirma lang nila kung ano ang matagal nang idinidikta ng Konstitusyon: tapos na ang trabaho ng Kamara,” Tongol said in a news release. (By dismissing the case on the grounds of mootness, the SC affirmed what the Constitution dictates — the duty of the House was already finished.) “The accusatory phase is unequivocally complete; the adjudicatory phase has already commenced before the Impeachment Court,” he said. According to Tongol, the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte activated Senate to convene as an impeachment court. Upon its convening, he said the court was given absolute jurisdiction to the case, including the “sole and exclusive power” to try and decide it. Tongol also said the impeachment court started with “a blank slate” in the adjudicatory phase, adding it does not “inherit” the legal disputes from the House impeachment proceedings. Prosecutors will carry the burden of proof while the respondent, will be granted a “full, uncompromising due process in accordance with the Constitutional guaranty to be presumed innocent”, he added. “Moving forward, the Impeachment Court will be guided by nothing other than the Constitution, by the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Trials, the Rules of Court, jurisprudence at ang mga matitibay na ebidensya na pormal na ipe-presenta mismo sa harapan ng Korte,” said Tongol. (Moving forward, the Impeachment Court will be guided by nothing other than the Constitution, by the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Trials, the Rules of Court, jurisprudence and pieces of evidence to be presented on the court.) On Wednesday, the SC en banc dismissed the consolidated petitions filed by Duterte and several lawyers to stop the House impeachment proceedings against her, ruling that they are moot as the Senate impeachment court is already on its Day 13 of trial. — BM, GMA News