27/07/2025
“RUSHED DECISION”
| Retired Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban urged all parties to respect the Supreme Court (SC) decision declaring the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte as unconstitutional due to violation of due process and the one-year bar rule.
In a statement, Panganiban noted that it could have been better if the high court issued a status quo ante order (SQAO) and conducted oral arguments to give both parties a chance to be heard instead of coming out with a “rushed decision.”
“If the Court had patiently heard oral argument on less important problems like the recognition of foreign divorces and the PhilHealth petitions, why not on this monumental case? ” Panganiban said.
“At the very least, if only to accord respect to a coequal branch of the government, the HOR (House of Representatives), I would have called for oral argument before making up my mind and casting my vote... In this way, both the justices and the public would have had a better grasp of the facts and the law involved. After all, this case has transcendental importance to the nation and to our people,” Panganiban added.
He also stressed that the decision is not yet final, as the respondent’s House and the Senate are still allowed to file a motion for reconsideration to question the Court’s unanimous decision.
“Note that the decision is not final yet. It is still subject to a motion for reconsideration (or for clarification) by the HOR if it so wants to file one,” Panganiban said in a statement.
He also called on the public to respect the decision: “Regardless of whether we are for or against the decision, let us respect it. We must observe the rule of law.”
