Respect SC decision, senators told

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri identified Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Bam Aquino as the lawmakers behind a Senate resolution urging the Supreme Court (SC)to reconsider its decision on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement on Wednesday, Zubiri said that while he respected the views of his colleagues on the SC decision declaring the impeachment complaint against Duterte unconstitutional, he maintained the decision must be respected.

“I firmly maintain my position that we must comply immediately with the Supreme Court’s decision, as it is clearly stated to be ‘immediately executory,’” he said.

“The ruling is final and binding, and in a constitutional democracy that should mean exactly what it says,” he stressed.

Zubiri warned that while legal opinions are welcome, the boundaries set by the High Court must not be overstepped.

“We do not serve the public well by insisting on reopening matters already resolved by the Constitution’s final arbiter. That sends the wrong signal to the people and weakens the institutions we are sworn to protect,” he said.

“Let’s not set a precedent where any group, the Senate or any organization, can undermine the Supreme Court through mere resolutions. The answer to a constitutional ruling is not political maneuvering. It is obedience,” he added.

Pangilinan and Aquino had yet to comment on the resolution.