Pimentel: SC’s dismissal of voting threshold case understandable

MANILA, Philippines — Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III expressed that the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision to dismiss the three petitions challenging the Impeachment court’s ruling on the voting threshold to convict Vice President Sara Duterte was understandable given the timing.

“I completely understand if the Supreme Court refused to take cognizance of petitions questioning the new ruling on the impeachment voting threshold, kasi actually, sa ngayon, parang konsulta lang siya,” he said when asked about the SC’s dismissal on the petitions against the impeachment court’s voting rule during an ambush interview after the Alpina Lounge & Wellness opening ceremony.

(I completely understand if the Supreme Court refused to take cognizance of petitions questioning the new ruling on the impeachment voting threshold, because right now, it’s essentially just a matter of consultation.)

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Pimentel previously expressed that strict standards should be applied before excluding a senator from the two-thirds conviction vote.

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The senator-judges last Sept. 23 voted 13-1, with six abstaining, that the “two-thirds of all the Members of Senate” in Article XI, Section 3(6) of the Constitution refers to those “capable of participating.”

READ: SC junks petitions vs Senate impeachment court’s voting rule

The SC earlier junked the separate petitions filed by former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez and lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. on procedural grounds, including “lack of standing and prematurity.”

“Bawal konsultahin ang Supreme Court kasi presyo-presyo ang timing nila,” he argued. “Mayroon na bang government official na natanggal sa kanyang posisyon because of a 14-voting threshold? Wala pa. So, that explains it na medyo premature pa,” he added.

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(You can’t consult the Supreme Court because their timing is varying,” he added. “Has any government official ever been removed from their position because of a 14-vote threshold? None so far. So, that explains why it is still somewhat premature.)

Pimentel, moreover, commended the Senate impeachment court’s way of handling Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial led by presiding officer, senator-judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

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“Ako, bilib na bilib sa kanyang handling. He has been fair, and then kitang-kita na nag-update siya sa mga rules of court, kaya alam niya ’yong mga procedural matters,” he expressed, referring to Escudero, when asked about his thoughts on the Senate impeachment proceedings.

(I am very impressed with how he handles things. He has been fair, and it is evident that he keeps up to date with the Rules of Court, so he is well-versed in procedural matters.) /cb