UP Law faculty warn SC ruling undermines impeachment process

Individual faculty members of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law expressed 'grave concern' over the Supreme Court's ruling declaring Vice President Sara Duterte's articles of impeachment unconstitutional, emphasizing that Congress has 'high prerogatives' in the process.

Over 80 legal experts signed a five-page joint statement warning that the SC decision could create an incentive for filing sham complaints to trigger the one-year bar rule and undermine the integrity of the impeachment process.

The UP Law faculty argued that any new rules set by the Supreme Court should be applied prospectively rather than retroactively, emphasizing that the House merely followed established procedures in initiating the impeachment complaint.

They also warned that the ruling could empower a 'tyrannical majority' in the House to block future impeachment resolutions and allow corrupt officials to evade accountability.

The UP Law faculty members urged democratic institutions to foster full public debate on the impeachment, stressing the importance of upholding constitutional accountability.