NANAWAGAN ang Philippine Constitution Association (PHILCONSA) sa Korte Suprema na muling pag-aralan ang desisyon nito noong Hulyo 25 kaugnay ng impeachment case laban kay Bise Presidente Sara Duterte.

Ayon sa grupo, ang naturang ruling ay naglalagay sa panganib na masira ang maselang balanse ng kapangyarihan na itinatag sa 1987 Konstitusyon.

Sa four-page statement na nilagdaan ng kanilang chairman, si dating Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, iginiit ng PHILCONSA na kailangang suriin muli ang desisyon ng Supreme Court (SC) dahil posibleng nilalabag nito ang mga pangunahing prinsipyo ng Konstitusyon, kabilang ang separation of powers at ang eksklusibong kapangyarihan ng House of Representatives na magsimula ng anumang impeachment proceedings.

“Decisions of the Supreme Court that rearrange the particles of the principle of separation of power, redefine the limits of power of government or change the calculus of the balance of power between and among the three (3) branches of our government demand their strictest scrutiny, for the slightest of error can bring about a tyrannicide that will incinerate our Constitution,” ayon sa PHILCONSA.

Bilang pinakamatanda at respetadong nonpartisan na organisasyong nagtatanggol sa Konstitusyon, binigyang-diin ng PHILCONSA na nagdesisyon ang Korte Suprema nang walang benefit ng facts mula sa isang trial court o review ng Court of Appeals, at sa halip ay umasa sa mga “dubious” at hindi beripikadong ulat.

“Hearsay evidence is forbidden in the search for truth for it denies due process to the prejudiced party,” sabi pa ng grupo. “We therefore urge the Supreme Court to review the salient facts it relied upon in its Decision to make sure the facts speak the truth, for only a Decision based on indubitable facts can stand time and its vicissitudes.”

Ipinahayag din ng PHILCONSA ang kanilang pagkabahala sa ipinataw ng SC na pitong bagong panuntunan para sa House sa paghawak ng impeachment cases, na anila’y lumalabag sa probisyon ng Konstitusyon na nagbibigay ng eksklusibong kapangyarihan sa House para simulan ang impeachment.

“With due respect, we express grave concern on the imposition of these new seven (7) rules, written by the Supreme Court itself for the House to comply with,” anila. “We submit that it violates Article XI (3) of the Constitution that provides: ‘The House of Representatives shall have the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment,’” dagdag pa ng PHILCONSA.

Giit ng grupo, ang mga miyembro ng House ay halal ng taumbayan at accountable sa kanila—hindi sa Korte Suprema—at ang pagbibigay sa judiciary ng kapangyarihang suriin ang “sufficiency of evidence” at “reasonableness of time” ay umaapak sa kalayaan ng lehislatura.

“The Rules made by the Court, which gifted itself the power to determine the sufficiency of evidence and the reasonableness of time given to all members of the House to reach an independent decision, cannot but raise eyebrows,” saad nila.

“It tilted the balance of power in its favor. It runs counter to the advice that in interpreting the Constitution, the role of justices is to serve strictly as umpires. They should not act as pitchers or batters in favor of any party.”

Tinutulan din ng asosasyon ang rekisitong mabigyan ng due process ang respondent sa yugto ng political initiation ng impeachment sa House, at iginiit na ang tamang forum para sa legal guarantees ay sa Senado sa panahon ng paglilitis.

“The right of respondent to due process should be invoked in the Senate Impeachment Court when respondent goes to trial,” ayon sa PHILCONSA.

Dagdag pa nila, “The trial stage is the legal component of the impeachment process. The familiar learning is that the right to be heard is satisfied when respondent is heard before any judgment is handed down. It need not necessarily be accorded before or at the start of the judicial proceedings.”

Binigyang-diin ng PHILCONSA na ang mga bagong tuntunin mula sa SC ay nagpapahina sa kapangyarihan ng House at dapat muling isaalang-alang.

“In fine, the new Rules written by the Court for the House to follow will render nugatory the exclusive power of the House to initiate all impeachment cases. We beg the Court to revisit the constitutionality of the new Rules it wrote for the House,” anila.

Sa pagtatapos ng kanilang pahayag, nagbabala ang PHILCONSA laban sa judicial overreach at nanawagan ng respeto sa mga hangganan ng Konstitusyon.

“Our Constitution is based on democracy and not on the monocracy of any branch of government. It will endure only if we are able to preserve the pristine principles of separation of power, checks and balances, accountability of officials, a public office is a public trust and the sovereignty of the people from whom all powers of government emanate.”

At sa kanilang huling paalala: “There ought to be no reckless tinkering of the balance of power, for any erroneous micro movement will have macro consequences on our fragile democracy. We call on the Supreme Court to avoid the political thicket, where there are too many unknowns and unknowables, and thus avoid the tyranny of intangibles. God bless the Supreme Court.”