Hontiveros names instances when SC overturned its rulings

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday named two instances when the Supreme Court (SC) overturned its rulings as senators debated on whether to abide by the high court’s decision that declared unconstitutional the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

One of these was the case of the League of Cities of the Philippines vs. the Commission on Elections (Comelec), where the SC En Banc granted a motion for reconsideration and declared 16 Cityhood Laws as constitutional in 2010.

In 2008, the SC initially declared unconstitutional the creation of 16 new cities and ordered the Comelec against the holding of a plebiscite pursuant to cityhood laws in these municipalities.

The SC in December 2009 reversed the 2008 decision and ruled that the towns can be declared as cities. However, in 2010, it made a second reversal and reinstated its 2008 decision.

In its ruling in February 2011, the SC denied with finality that the 16 towns can be declared as cities.

Hontiveros also mentioned the case of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications Inc. and others vs. Greenpeace Southeast Asia of the Philippines. 

“Original decision, unanimous, December 8, 2015. Reversed unanimously on MR too, July 26, 2016,” Hontiveros said.

“Hindi lang po tulad nung sinabi ni minority leader na there’s always a first time. It has happened before. So ‘yung ganitong klaseng milagro na hinahanap, posibleng mangyari din po dito sa kasong pinag uusapan natin,” she added.

(It’s not just like what the minority leader said, that there’s always a first time. It has happened before. So this kind of miracle being sought is also possible in the case we are discussing.)

This came after Senator Rodante Marcoleta questioned whether even Supreme Court justice would overturn the ruling, considering that it was unanimous.

The SC had ruled unanimously that the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte are barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, with 19 votes, the Senate voted to transfer to the archives the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.—LDF, GMA Integrated News