(Eagle News) — The Senate is “the one and only impeachment court.”
This is according to Senate President Koko Pimentel, who issued a statement hours after the Supreme Court en banc voted to nullify the appointment of Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice.
“The Chief Justice is an ‘impeachable official’ who can be removed only after impeachment by the House and conviction by the Senate,” Pimentel said.
According to Pimentel, the SC “is supreme in a lot of things but not in everything.”
As such, he said “the (High Court) itself must also take the time to review its own decision.”
He said the people should also be “given time to review this decision.”
“The respondent Chief Justice must be given the opportunity to file a motion for reconsideration..The reputation and esteem of this present Supreme Court will now rise or fall on the basis of the soundness or unsoundness of this controversial decision upholding a very unusual remedy to oust a sitting Chief Justice. Let us all uphold the RULE OF LAW,” he said.
With a vote of 8-6, the SC granted the quo warranto petition filed against her by Solicitor General Jose Calida.
Sereno is also facing an impeachment complaint in Congress.
