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The House of Representatives, through its spokesperson lawyer Princess Abante, says it respects the Supreme Court's (SC) decision to dismiss the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
At the same time, Abante said the lower chamber "will exhaust all remedies to protect the independence of Congress".
She gave these remarks even as the House was yet to get its hands on a copy of the SC's ruling, which was made public on Friday afternoon, July 25.
"The House of Representatives has yet to officially receive a copy of the [SC's] decision. We will review it with the utmost respect once furnished," Abante said.
"That said, we underscore the following: We respect the [SC]. But our constitutional duty to uphold truth and accountability does not end here," she said.
“Ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema ay igagalang—ngunit kailanman ay hindi ito magiging dahilan upang kami’y tumigil sa pagtupad ng aming tungkulin,” she added.
(We will respect the SC decision--but this will never be a reason for us to stop fulfilling our duty.)
'Not defiance'
"The House will exhaust all remedies to protect the independence of Congress and preserve the sanctity of our constitutional role. This is not defiance. This is constitutional fidelity," she further said.
Abante described the impeachment process as not just a legal mechanism but "a vital democratic safeguard".
"Under Article XI, Section 3 of the Constitution, the exclusive power to initiate impeachment rests solely with the House of Representatives. This was firmly established in Francisco v. House of Representatives (2003) and has long stood as settled doctrine," she said.
"To allow judicial interference in the initiation of this process risks undermining the very principle of checks and balances. Impeachment is a political act rooted in the people’s will—no legal technicality should silence it," she added.
Abante underscored that the issue "is not about one person".
“Hindi lang ito laban sa isang opisyal. Ito ay laban para sa karapatan ng taumbayan na maningil ng pananagutan sa gobyerno (This isn't against a particular official. This is a fight for the people's right to seek accountability in government)...We owe it to the people to be relentless in our duty—because accountability should never be optional, no matter how high the office," she said.
Lawyer Antonio Bucoy, spokesperson of the House prosecution panel in the impeachment case, declined to comment on the SC decision pending receipt of an official copy.
