OpinionsEcon 101Impeachment 101

Impeachment 101

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Iglesia Ni Cristo spokesperson Edwil Zabala announced that the “Rally for Peace”  which was held last Monday was meant to show support for President Marcos Jr.’s opposition to the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Sara Duterte enjoys strong popular support in the south, among millions of overseas Filipino workers, and from religious groups like INC.

Mid-term elections are due in May wherein the entire Lower House, and half of the 24 senatorial seats will be contested. This will be seen as a test of the strength for the rival camps.

Impeachment  is an expressed power of the Congress of the Philippines to formally charge a serving government official with an impeachable offense. After being impeached by the House of Representatives, the official is then tried in the Senate. If convicted, the official is either removed from office or censured, as provided in Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution under Accountability of Public Officers.

Section 1 emphasizes that “public office is a public trust,” thus,“public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.”

Article XI states that the president, vice president, members of the Supreme Court, members of the Constitutional commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from their posts “on impeachment for, and conviction of: culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust .All other public officers and employees may be removed from office as provided by law, but not by impeachment.”

The impeachment process begins at the House of Representatives where any member, or citizen, can file a verified complaint which shall be endorsed by any House member. This shall be included in the Order of Business within 10 session days, and referred to the proper House committee within three session days thereafter.

After conducting a hearing and by a majority of votes by the panel members, the House committee shall submit a report to the House within 60 session days.

“A vote of at least one-third of all the Members of the House shall be necessary either to affirm a favorable resolution with the Articles of Impeachment of the Committee, or override its contrary resolution. The vote of each Member shall be recorded,” according to Sec 3 (3) of Article XI.

In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.

The approved Resolution shall be endorsed to the Senate which will try to convict the impeached official. An official shall be convicted if two-thirds of the Senate votes. “Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines, but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to prosecution, trial, and punishment, according to law.” Abangan.

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Author’s email: [email protected]

 

 

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