SENATOR KIKO PANGILINAN'S STATEMENT ON THE SUPREME COURT'S RULING ON IMPEACHMENT CASE VS OMBUDSMAN

We welcome the Supreme Court's ruling on the impeachment case against the Ombudsman. There was this growing perception that the Supreme Court was taking the cudgels for former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whose administration has cases that have been gathering dust in the Ombudsman. We also welcome the decision as we believe that impeachment is a matter that falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of Congress, and that the Supreme Court should never have intervened in the first place. That the SC realized its mistake is a welcome development.

The failure of the Ombudsman to act swiftly on corruption cases have emboldened many to continue with their corrupt ways. The last thing we want is a Supreme Court that is perceived to be a stumbling block in the efforts to address pervasive corruption in government.

Thankfully, the Supreme Court also avoided the embarrassing situation of it being ignored by a co-equal branch if it insisted on interfering in a process that is exclusive to the House of Representatives as stated in the Constitution.