Miriam: Impeach court is not almighty
…says disobedience leads to ‘constitutional crisis’
MANILA, Philippines - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago said she will vote to “obey” a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Supreme Court on the opening of the alleged dollar accounts of Chief Justice Renato Corona, saying it has powers over judicial controversies.
In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Santiago cited six grounds, anchored on the premise that “the impeachment court is not almighty, not absolute, not illimitable, and not more supreme than the Supreme Court.”
She said obedience to the TRO would lead to “governmental stability” while disobedience “precipitates a constitutional crisis.”
“If we have a choice between stability and crisis, the wiser choice is always national stability,” she said.
She explained this is within the “last clear chance” doctrine, which the Senate should choose to prevent harm.
She also noted that the SC has judicial power over “justiciable questions and political questions.”
Justiciable questions are “actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable.” Political questions, on the other hand, are those cases involving “grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.”
'Do not violate law'
She cited as third ground the fact that “this impeachment court is not authorized to violate the law.”
She said it was Congress who passed the law on secrecy of foreign currency deposits. “Congress made this law. The lawmakers should not be the lawbreakers. Instead, the lawmakers should, if necessary, amend the law,” she said.
She also said the “theory of checks and balances” prohibits the Senate from “claiming an exception for itself.”
“The Constitution allows one branch to check the excesses or choices of another branch. Do we mean to say that this impeachment court is free of any check or balance? Then it becomes almighty! Under the Constitution, this impeachment court has no authority to study its own navel,” she said.
When the impeachment court does obey the SC, it doesn’t mean one is already superior over the other, she said. “It merely means that the Constitution is supreme over all branches and agencies of the government.”
Corona's human rights
Santiago added that disobeying the TRO violates Corona’s human rights.
“Separation of powers was conceived to protect individual rights. Judicial review is an integral part of separation of powers. Accordingly, minimum judicial review of the exercise of the impeachment power is observed, in order to ensure that no individual right is being violated,” she added.
She also noted, as a last ground, that the SC already said it has power of judicial review over impeachment cases.
She cited the cases of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. and Merceditas Gutierrez.
In the first case, the SC said: “The Constitution did not leave the matter of impeachment to the sole discretion of Congress – it provided for certain well-defined limits or ‘judicially discoverable standards’
for determining the validity of the exercise of such discretion, through the power of judicial review.”
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Nakakaintriga talaga ang dollar account. Aminin.....
Gaano nga kaya kalaki ang laman ng dollar account ni CJ?
Saan nanggaling pera? Pera ba tio ng bayan? bayad ba ng client? Kailan nadeposito ito. Tanging ang pagbubukas ng bank statement ang magbibigay ng linaw. Hmmmmm... nakakaintriga talaga.... Tila hinid na natin masisilayan kung may pagkakamali ba si CJ sa sambayanan.
Ang mahalaga ngayon kay CJ, lusot na ang Dollar bank account. Enjoy!!!! Kawawang Pilipinas. Hindi na makikita ang katotohanan.
At sa defense nagwagi kayo sa pag-kakalat ng rumors. Hahaha. walang nagawa ang Senate. kawawang senate.
It's not about TRO. It's about the truth!!!!
Let’s go back to the basic argument. The truth!!!!. If you have nothing to hide, just show it. CJ can give consent to the bank.
Not convincing argument to respect the TRO. Still in the mind of the people, CJ is hiding something. Hmmm….. nakakaintriga talaga ang dollar account na yan.
At the same manner , you are
At the same manner , you are not also Almighty Sen. Santiago.
Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang ginawa ng 13 Senator Judges....
Hindi katanggap-tanggap ang ginawa ng 13 Senator Judges na bomoto pabor sa TRO ng ating Supreme Court.
Joker Arroyo,
Miriam Santiago,
Manny Villar,
Ralph Recto,
Francis Escudero,
Aquilino Pimentel III,
Loren Legarda,
Gregorio Honasan,
Bong Revilla,
Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,
Vicente Sotto III,
Jinggoy Estrada,
Juan Ponce Enrile.
Para kasi sa akin...
Katanggap-tanggap sana kung ang nirason nila ay:
Hindi namin bubuksan ang Dollar Accounts ni CJ Renato Corona. Dahil may Batas na umiiral, ang Foreign Currency Deposits Account
Secrecy Law.
At kailangan pang amyendahan ito. Before i-open yung Dollar Accounts ni Corona.
Hindi eh...
Ang ginawa nilang rason ay....
Hindi namin bubuksan ang Dollar Accounts ni CJ Renato Corona. Dahil naglabas ng TRO ang Supreme Court....
At kailangan naming sundin ito.
Dapat ang sinunod ng Impeachment Court ang FCDA Secrecy Law. At hindi yung TRO ng Supreme Court.
Kasi hindi na ito basta-basta na Senate.
SENATE IMPEACHMENT COURT na ito.
Kaya nga dalawang beses sila nag-take oath.
Una ay nung naging Senador sila.
At yung pangalawa ay Judge sila ng Impeachment Court.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy....
Sinayang talaga ng mga inelect nating mga Senator ang Kapangyarihan na ibinigay sa kanila ng ating Constitution. Na kapag naging Senator Judges sila. At nabuo na ang Impeachment Court.
Mas above na ito sa Supreme Court.
Hindi na ito sakop sa 'JUDICIAL REVIEW" ng ating Supreme Court.
Ang ating Presidente kasi ay Subject at bound sa "Checks and Balances" ng ating Constitution. Ganun din naman ang ating Congress... Ang ating Senate at House of Representatives.
Pero ang ating Supreme Court.
In effect sa ginawa ng 13 Senator Judges na bomoto pabor sa TRO ng ating Supreme Court.
Hindi ito (Supreme Court) subject at bound sa "Checks and Balances".
Kaya nga ito lagi ang aking tanong....
Katanungan sa aking Isipan na hindi mawala-wala.
Di ba ang Supreme Court ang binigyan ng power or authority ng ating Constitution na taga-determine kung mayroong "grave abuse of discretion" sa any branch or instrumentality of the Government.
What if ang ating Supreme Court mismo ang naka-commit ng "grave abuse of discretion"?
Anong mechanism sa ating Constitution para mapigil o mahinto ang na-commit nito na "grave abuse of discretion"?
Di ba po ang sagot sa tanong na yan ay "IMPEACHMENT"
Kaso sinayang ng 13 Senator Judges ang Opportunity at yung kapangyarihan na ibinigay sa kanila. Ni-represent pa naman nila tayong mga mamamayan. Di ba Representative Government tayo. Kaya nga tayo Republican State eh.
Yung mga inelect natin na mga Elected Officials... Lalo na yung sa National. Sila yung nag-represent sa atin.
Kaya nadismaya talaga ako.
Ang Impeachment Court pa naman ang "Court of Last Resort" para ma-remove ang Impeachable Public Officials na naka-commit ng culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.
Kaso sinayang talaga ito ng 13 Senator Judges...
Kaya nga obserbasyon ko na ngayon sa ating Impeachment Court ay subject na ito sa ating Supreme Court.
Mas above na ito (Supreme Court) sa Impeachment Court.
Haaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy....
Yan ang nagagawa ng "POWER TO INTERPRET" ng ating Supreme Court.
BOUND AT SUBJECT NITO ANG MGA NAKASULAT O PROBISYON SA ATING CONSTITUTION.
Dahil sa ito taga-interpret sa mga nakasulat o probisyon sa ating Constitution.
Pabor lagi dito ang mga desisyon o ruling nito.
Halimbawa na lang....
1.) Ni-legalized nito ang appointment ni then Associate Justice Renato Corona as Chief Justice ng ating Supreme Court.
Kahit na ito ay labag sa ating 1987 Constitution ARTICLE VII Section 15
"Two months immediately before the next presidential elections and up to the end of his term, a President or Acting President shall not make appointments, except temporary appointments to executive positions when continued vacancies therein will prejudice public service or endanger public safety."
2.) Sinang-ayunan o inaprobahan nito ang pagkakaroon ng panibagong Distrito ng Camarines Sur para lang maging Congressman ang anak ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo na si Dato Arroyo.
Kahit na hindi umabot ang Distrito nito sa at least 250,000 Population na nakasaad sa ating 1987 Constitution ARTICLE VI Section 5. (3)
"Each legislative district shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacent territory. Each city with a population of at least two hundred fifty thousand, or each province, shall have at least one representative."
3.) Ang hindi nito pagsunod sa nakasulat o probisyon sa ating 1987 Constitution ARTICLE XI Section 17
"A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities, and net worth. In the case of the President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public in the manner provided by law."
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6713
Section 8 of RA 6713, also known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Kaya nga...
Panukala ko...
Kapag natuloy yung pagbabago sa ating Constitution o Charter Change.
Before ma-ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite ang ating magiging Constitution.
Ibigay na dapat ang Interpretation nito.
- Interpretation sa lahat ng mga nakasulat o probisyon sa ating Constitution.
Dapat may Interpretation na ito.
Isulat na dapat ng magiging Framers (Constitutional Convention [ConCon] or Constitutional Assembly [ConAss] Delegates) ang Interpretation sa lahat ng mga nakasulat o probisyon sa ating magiging Constitution.
Hindi yung Supreme Court pa ang mag-interpret nito.
Katulad ngayon….
Yung sa ating 1987 Constitution.
Kailangan pa itong i-interpret ng ating Supreme Court.
Sa panukala ko naman.
Hindi na ito (mga nakasulat o probisyon sa ating Constitution) i-interpret ng ating Supreme Court.
Kasi nga may Intepretation na ito.
Para na hindi na maulit yung nangyari:
“MAS BATAS” O “ABOVE” PA SA ATING CONSTITUTION ANG ATING SUPREME COURT…
Ang magiging duty and function na lang ng ating Supreme Court ay sundin at i-apply ang ating magiging Constitution at Interpretation nito.
– Interpretation na galing sa mga Framers ng ating magiging Constitution.
Yun lang po...
Thanks for reading... God bless.
^_^
I BU TO!
VOTE: FOR SIN ATOR
Joker Arroyo,
Miriam Santiago,
Manny Villar,
Ralph Recto,
Francis Escudero,
Aquilino Pimentel III,
Loren Legarda,
Gregorio Honasan,
Bong Revilla,
Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,
Vicente Sotto III,
Jinggoy Estrada,
Juan Ponce Enrile.
PANG MASANG __________?_____________.
? DOLLARS ACCOUNT NYO PROTEKTAHAN KO.
Manahimek ka na lang Brenda
Manahimek ka na lang Brenda baka atakihin ka na naman SANA ng altapresyon! hehehe...
I guess the SC is the almighty
If no one can conduct check and balances to the SC, I guess SC is the almighty...no one can question it's power and accountability? I thought it is thru the mandate of the people, which is the Congress and the Senate. I don't know but this is not good.
about SC is the almighty
In my own opinion, If the SC will be the subject of Impeachment proceeding or anyone of their own, it will become "moro-moro" or just to submit into impeachment because anytime they can get the TRO just because they are supreme. I think impeachment is useless.
The Senator - Judge has a point.
Senator Santiago I agree with you.
The dear senator quote: “Separation of powers was conceived to protect individual rights. Judicial review is an integral part of separation of powers. Accordingly, minimum judicial review of the exercise of the impeachment power is observed, in order to ensure that no individual right is being violated,”
But this doesn't mean that the Supreme Court has the power to stop the impeachment proceeding. The TRO only applies to the bank (PSBank) not to show in public what's in CJ Corona's foreign deposit account. Too many technicalities on this one..
This is how we grow as a republic, so to our legislative branch of government we should amend those law that has flaws. Anyone can put all his/her money in foreign currency account so they can elude persecution.
The Arroyo's has probably a lot of foreign currency account.. better check it out!
Defense lawyers are losers...
Nothing can be achieve in any impeachment proceedings even in the future impeachment..if all lawyers can intimidate and can manipulate the impeachment through unprofessional and idiotic way like what the defense lawyers of Corona are doing.
They can just fabricate lies and destroy the integrity of court and rick constitutional crisis rather than face defeat. They will do everything to prevent Corona's conviction and they will risk to have all three branches of the government be put into chaos than to accept the reality of losing. Shame on Corona and his bunch of i thought bright and expert lawyers but was proven to be a bunch of moronic lawyers who cannot accept defeat.