Pimentel: SC can’t interfere with Congress’ power to enact laws
Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, representing the 1Sambayan Coalition, and retired Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales lead the filing of a petition for a law against political dynasties on Monday.
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) cannot interfere with the power of Congress to enact laws, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said on Tuesday.
He was reacting to a new petition filed by the 1Sambayan Coalition before the high tribunal on Monday, seeking to compel Congress to enact a law against political dynasties.
READ: SC asked: Tell Congress to ban political dynasties
“The plenary power of Congress to enact laws cannot be interfered with by the Supreme Court, especially if the purpose is to pinpoint a particular subject matter to be enacted into law,” according to Pimentel, a lawyer, in a message to reporters on Tuesday.
Still, he remains optimistic that Congress would pass on its own a measure defining and banning political dynasty in the country.
“Our voters are slowly becoming more aware that our democratic processes should be inclusive,” the senator said in Filipino.
Pimentel, whose second term in the Senate ends on June 30, called for “equal opportunities in public service for all.”
Some of his colleagues in the Senate belong to political families like siblings Sens. Alan Peter and Pia Cayetano, mother and son Sens. Cynthia and Mark Villar, and half-brothers Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Sen. JV Ejercito.
Meanwhile, Sen. Raffy Tulfo’s brothers — ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo and broadcaster Ben Tulfo — are seeking to join him in the Senate should they win in the May senatorial race.
Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar is also running for the Senate as her mother, Cynthia, seeks to replace her in the House of Representatives.
Represented by retired SC Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the 1Sambayan Coalition led the filing of the petition before the high tribunal, along with the Sanlakas party-list group, retired Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, retired military officials, priests, academics, and lawyers.
They also asked the SC to require Congress to pass an anti-political dynasty law within one year from receipt of its decision in favor of their petition.
“Even though nearly four decades have passed, the Congress of the Philippines, in direct contravention of the Constitution’s mandate, has deliberately refused to enact an anti-political dynasty law,” they said in the petition.
A special civil action for mandamus was filed last year by a group of lawyers from the University of the Philippines seeking to compel both the Senate and House of Representatives to pass the same law.
