Drilon says Duterte impeachment tests Supreme Court’s judicial limits

1 of 2

MANILA — Former Senate President Franklin Drilon said the Supreme Court’s involvement in the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte presents a critical test of how far judicial power extends under the Constitution.

“The intervention of the Supreme Court in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte presents an interesting study on the limits of the court’s intervention on what is known or considered as a political question,” Drilon said.

Drilon made the remarks during the launch of his memoir Being Frank at the University of the Philippines College of Law’s Alumni Weekend.

Impeachment is classified under Philippine constitutional law as a political proceeding within the exclusive domain of Congress. The Supreme Court, however, holds the constitutional authority to review acts committed with grave abuse of discretion by any branch or instrumentality of government — a power that sets up the tension at the heart of the current dispute.

Drilon, who sat as a senator-judge in two impeachment trials during his 24-year Senate career, said the case would define the boundaries of judicial review over impeachment proceedings.

“To what extent the Supreme Court will invoke its constitutional power to correct grave abuse of discretion in the political process involving the impeachment of Vice President Duterte will be an interesting study for all of us,” Drilon said.

“We hope that the Supreme Court will come out with a decision which should be generally accepted as a basis for our legal system,” he added.

The book launch was attended by former Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, UP Law Dean Gwen Grecia-De Vera, faculty members, alumni, and students.

The memoir was co-published by the University of the Philippines Law Alumni Foundation Inc. Drilon donated proceeds from book sales during the launch to the foundation.

Drilon also used the occasion to urge law students to prioritize principle over prestige.

“The temptation to view the law as a mere career — a pathway to prestige or profit — is persistent,” he said. “But your education here in Diliman demands more of you.”

“It demands that you be honest with yourselves and with the nation. As I have learned over the course of my career, the most difficult battles are not won through volume, but through the steady, relentless application of principle,” he said.

Reflecting on the memoir, Drilon said writing the book gave him a chance to think about legacy.

“A legacy is not found in the titles we held or the trophies on our shelves,” he said. “It is found in the institutions we strengthened and the young minds we inspired to take up the mantle of leadership.”

“My hope is that by sharing my journey — unfiltered and, as the title suggests, frank — you might find some guidance for your own.”

Being Frank traces Drilon’s decades in public life, including his years as labor secretary, justice secretary, executive secretary, senator, and Senate president. The memoir offers personal reflections on some of the most consequential political episodes in recent Philippine history.

Being Frank is now available at https://beingfrank.drilon.com.