Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua has pushed back against the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) after it expressed support for the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling nullifying the House of Representatives’ impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Chua, who serves as a member of the House prosecution panel, argued that the high court exceeded its constitutional authority when it ruled that the impeachment complaints violated constitutional limits.
“I dissent because the Constitution is above Congress, the Executive, and the Judiciary. The Supreme Court, being the ‘court of last resort’ cannot supplant nor expand, nor add to the Constitution. Their latest decision on impeachment did supplant, expand, and add to what the Constitution so clearly provides,” Chua said in a statement on Sunday.
The IBP on Saturday urged Congress to comply with the SC’s ruling, warning that rejecting it would “erode the very foundations of the legal order.”
While Chua said he understood the IBP’s stance, he maintained that the House acted within its constitutional powers.
“I understand where the IBP is coming from. In fact, I empathize. But we in the House have the exclusive power to advance Articles of Impeachment exactly as the Constitution provides. We did not act in disregard of due process,” he said.
The SC en banc unanimously declared the impeachment complaints against Duterte invalid under the one-year bar rule, which prohibits filing multiple impeachment complaints against the same official within a year. The court said the House’s failure to resolve the first three complaints before Congress adjourned amounted to a dismissal or termination.
The first three complaints, all filed in December 2024, accused Duterte of misusing over ₱600 million in confidential funds. A fourth complaint, supported by over one-third of House members, was later transmitted to the Senate.
Chua rejected claims that the impeachment proceedings were rushed.
“We acted according to the last legal resort available to the Filipino people when the highest and impeachable public officials violate the public trust,” he stressed.