THE Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) to answer a petition assailing the constitutionality of its new rules.
In a resolution issued on Monday, the Court ordered the nine-member tribunal to comment on the petition filed by Liberal Party Rep. Regina Ongsiako Reyes of Marinduque, seeking to void Rule 6 and Part 2 of Rule 15 of the 2015 Revised Rules of the HRET.
The HRET rules give SC justices in the tribunal veto power by requiring the presence of at least one justice at all time for there to be a quorum.
The lawmaker also questioned for being vague or ambiguous the new rule allowing the vote of even just two members to be the decision of the tribunal in cases of inhibition.
Reyes also asked the SC to void the new rule setting back HRET jurisdiction to June 30 at the earliest, from the long-standing jurisprudence and sections 250 and 253 of the Omnibus Elections Code, where HRET jurisdiction is reckoned from proclamation of winner. The HRET, which is composed of six congressmen and three justices, was given 10 days from notice to comply with the order and submit its comment.
SC Spokesman Theodore Te said the order was issued “without necessarily giving due course” to the petition.
Reyes was earlier disqualified by the Commission on Elections and later on by the SC in 2013 for being an American citizen. She, however, kept her post, as the HRET has yet to rule on her case.