Sotto doubts impeachment is the only way to remove an impeachable official

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III remains neutral on the Senate resolution urging the Supreme Court to review its ruling on a quo warranto petition that led to the ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

However, at the Kapihan sa Senado on Thursday, Sotto expressed doubts that impeachment was the only way to remove impeachable government officials.

He cited the case of Vice President Leni Robredo, the subject of an election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“Kung sinasabi natin, ini-insist natin, ang impeachable officer para maalis lang lang ay by impeachment lang, papaano kung ang protesta ni Senator Marcos nanalo? Papano? I-impeach natin si Vice President Robredo? Hindi. Because in the first place, she was not Vice President,” Sotto asked.

(If we say, if we insist that the only way to remove an impeachable office is by impeachment only, what if Senator Marcos’ poll protest wins? What will happen? Will we impeach Vice President Robredo? No. Because in the first place, she was not Vice President)

“Hindi pwedeng sabihin na: ‘Hindi, kailangang i-impeach yan para alisin.’ Hindi pwede. There are some people are looking it that way dito kaya ang sinasabi ko it seems the Senate has nothing to do with the quo warranto,” Sotto said.

(We cannot say, ‘No, she has to be impeached to be removed from office. It’s not possible. There are some people looking into it that’s why I am saying here it seems the Senate has nothing to do with the quo warranto.)

The SC earlier granted the quo warranto petition filed against Sereno by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

Sotto noted that based on the SC ruling, Sereno was not eligible to hold the post and should therefore no longer have to undergo impeachment proceedings.

However, without the SC ruling on the quo warranto petition, the impeachment bid against Sereno would have pushed through in Congress.

“But the thing is, should she (Sereno) be impeached if she’s not illegible in the same way as should Vice President Robredo be impeached if she loses in the protest?” Sotto asked.

He also used President Rodrigo Duterte as an example to justify the SC’s ruling.

“For example, President Duterte is not a Filipino citizen. We find out that he’s not a Filipino citizen. What do you do? You impeach him? No, because that was before he became president. I-quo quo warranto mo na siguro,” the Senate President said.

Still, Sotto maintained his “neutral” stand on the Senate resolution urging the SC to review its ruling on the quo warranto petition against Sereno. The resolution was signed by 14 senators.

While no one had approached Sotto to sign the measure, he expressed his willingness to vote for it on the floor if he would be convinced that there was a need to pass such as resolution.

“But for all you know, we might be convinced and some of them might no be convinced not to pass the resolution,” Sotto said. /vvp