Bong Go urges respect for SC’s impeachment ruling, calls for unity

Senator Christopher Bong Go expressed support for the recent Supreme Court (SC) decision barring the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, citing the importance of upholding due process and legal procedures.

“Ngayon na may desisyon na ang Supreme Court, galangin natin ito (Now that the Supreme Court has issued a decision, let us respect it),” Go said in a statement on Saturday, urging Filipinos to respect the ruling.

“Sana ay maging daan ito para sa ating pagkakaisa bilang isang bansa (I hope this becomes a path toward unity for our nation, for the sake of our country and our people—especially the poor)”

The Supreme Court, earlier ruled that the impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President violated the constitutional one-year ban and did not follow proper procedures, effectively halting the process. 

The decision has sparked political reactions from both critics and allies of the Duterte administration.

Go, an ally of Duterte’s, emphasized that the High Court’s ruling echoed the recommendation he and others made to remand the impeachment complaints pending questions on their procedural validity. 

“Gayunpaman, nagpapasalamat ako na tama ang aming rekomendasyon noon na i-remand muna ang impeachment complaint laban kay VP Sara Duterte (Nonetheless, I am thankful that our earlier recommendation to remand the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte has been proven correct),” he noted.

Referring to his remarks after taking an oath as a senator-judge on June 10, Go said the legal process should be observed before any judgment is made. 

“Tulad ng aking ipinahiwatig pagkatapos ng aming oath taking bilang senator-judges sa plenaryo noong June 10: “Yes, we are senator-judges tasked to decide on this matter and we took an oath to be impartial. But this matter, whether it went through the right process or not, should first be decided upon and settled.”

Go said the SC’s decision must be respected and abided by “as the final arbiter on legal issues, barring the current impeachment proceedings on the grounds of due process.”

“Sa paliwanag ng SC, nasagot na ang ating mga katanungan ukol sa apat na impeachment complaints na hindi alinsunod sa one-year ban at iba pang prosesong mistulang hindi nasunod kung kaya’t hindi maaaring maipagpatuloy ang impeachment (According to the Court’s explanation, our questions regarding the four impeachment complaints—which violated the one-year ban and other procedures that seemingly were not followed—have been answered, and thus the impeachment cannot proceed),” he emphasized. 

The senator also stressed the need to shift focus toward legislation and government service, especially in light of the recent flooding and storms affecting large parts of the country. 

“Marami pa ang dapat na maisabatas upang mas lalong mapabuti natin ang mga serbisyo at programa ng gobyerno at mas mailapit pa ang mga ito sa mga Pilipino (There is still much legislation needed to further improve government services and programs, and to make these more accessible to Filipinos),” Go said.

“Again, let us focus on what truly matters to the people we serve: justice done the right way, and public service that genuinely helps Filipinos. That is what the people need, and that is where our attention should be,” he added. 

Further, Go reiterated his call for unity and continued public service, saying the people deserve justice delivered correctly and government programs that address their urgent needs.

“Magkapareho po ang prinsipyo na aking sinabi noon sa kinalabasan ngayon— na dapat hindi na-circumvent ang batas, dapat nasunod ang due process at ang rules,” he said.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. And justice conducted the wrong way is no justice at all. Hindi pwede ang shortcut!,” he aded.