Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the filing of the petition is “very unusual” and unconstitutional.
“It’s very unusual, because under the Constitution the meaning of the provision literally is that once in a position, the following high ranking government officials can only be removed from their positions through impeachment,” Pimentel told reporters.
“So if you invent some other proceeding which will result in the removal from office then that should violate that provision in the Constitution,” he added.
Pimentel said he wanted to study first the petition as it is unclear to his mind.
“Pag-aralan mabuti kasi medyo malabo. Sa pagbasa natin sa constitutional provision, ang message that we get is that the only way to remove these high ranking government officials who are so called impeachable officials is through impeachment. Di ba? So all of the sudden there is another way to remove them, eh di where is that found? Malabo under the Constitution,” he said.
Asked on the propriety of Calida in filing the petition, Pimentel said it is the job of the Solicitor General to file and defend cases and contribute to jurisprudence.
“It’s a legitimate act of the office of the Solicitor General. Ang tanong ko lang eh magsu-succeed ba?” he said.
“Hindi mo mapipigil iyan. This is a free country ‘yung mga gray area, legal action, novel legal proceedings, parating mangyayari ito. Ang tanong lang magsa-succeed? Kung obviously unconstitutional dapat hindi mag succeed ‘di ba? Pero yung pagpa-file wala tayong magagawa,” he said.
Pimentel reiterated that the Senate is ready, willing, and able to conduct impeachment proceedings and Sereno will receive fair treatment.
“Ang dapat siguro malaman ng taumbayan kahit na ‘yung mga excited nang paalisin si Chief Justice, na ang Senate ay handa. Basta ‘yung avenue na ‘yun available po rito sa Senado ‘yun. And also to assure the respondent, we will be fair. Kung walang ebidensya acquit yan. Pero kung may ebidensya naman ibang usapan din yun. Pwede ring ma-convict ‘yun,” he said.
“In effect, it is not only impeachment conviction which removes from office these high ranking officials, meron pa palang ibang paraan. Which is not obvious from the Constitution,” said Pimentel.