MGR🅰️CE
135.5K posts
MGR🅰️CE
@onlymaine4ever
@onlyMDCMA4Ever
The #SupremeCourtPH (SC) 𝘌𝘯 𝘉𝘢𝘯𝘤, during its session today, April 29, 2026, dismissed the petition for mandamus filed by Catalino Aldea Generillo, Jr., which sought to compel the Senate to immediately convene as an impeachment court to try the charges against Vice President Sara Duterte. In a 14-0-1 Decision written by Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, the SC held that mandamus, which is meant to enforce a clear legal duty, was not the proper remedy. It ruled that the Senate’s actions within its sphere cannot be revised or controlled by the judicial department through mandamus. As a co-equal constitutional body, the Senate’s exercise of its duties is beyond the SC’s power of review, except in cases of grave abuse of discretion. However, specifically for this case and in the interest of equity, the SC treated the petition as one for certiorari and proceeded to determine whether the Senate acted unlawfully or abused its discretion when it did not convene immediately as an impeachment court during its session break. Contrary to the petitioner’s claim, the SC found that the Senate acted on the impeachment complaint in a timely manner. While the Constitution requires the House of Representatives to act within a certain number of session days on an impeachment complaint, it does not specify a fixed timeframe for the Senate to start an impeachment trial. It simply provides that the trial “shall forthwith proceed,” leaving the timing to the Senate’s discretion. The SC clarified that the term “forthwith” in Article XI, Section 3(4) of the Constitution means within a reasonable time, which may be longer or shorter, depending on the circumstances of each case. This allows the Senate to make the necessary preparations to convene as an impeachment court. While the Constitution does not set an exact date for the trial, the Senate must avoid undue delay to uphold the principle that public officers must at all times be accountable to the people. The SC considered the petition moot because the Senate had begun impeachment preparations, and the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Duterte were nullified by the SC’s July 25, 2025 Decision and January 28, 2026 Resolution in Duterte v. House of Representatives. A case is moot when subsequent events remove any issues, making court rulings unnecessary. Since no Articles of Impeachment remained, the SC had no reason to order the Senate to convene as an impeachment court. Read the full text of the Press Briefer at sc.judiciary.gov.ph/?p=164510 The full text of the Decision will be uploaded to the SC website once available. Copying of this content is subject to the SC PIO’s Credit Attribution Policy.
Saw this post from Antonette Aquino on Facebook - sharing it here. This is what she said: No, I did not leave the aircon running 24/7. My Meralco bill came in at ₱9,791.78. So let me break it down because nobody else will. Generation charge alone is ₱5,266.66. That’s 54% of my entire bill. Meralco’s actual cut? ₱1,730.98. And that number hasn’t moved since 2022. What keeps going up is everything sitting on top of it. Here’s what’s actually eating your money: System Loss — ₱486.83 You are paying for stolen electricity. Illegal connections, meter tampering, jumpers. Republic Act 7832 lets Meralco pass the cost of electricity theft straight to paying customers. Universal Charges — ₱201.96 Part of this goes toward paying off the National Power Corporation’s debts. Old debts. From decisions made before most of us were even working. Government Taxes — ₱989.81 The 12% VAT is not just on what you consumed. It’s stacked on top of every other charge, including the subsidies you’re already paying for. So yes, you are paying tax on stolen electricity. Tax on an old government debt. Tax on a subsidy you do not even benefit from. FiT-All and GEA-All — ₱149.59 combined Two separate renewable energy levies running at the same time. The second one was quietly added to bills in February 2026. Both government-mandated. Neither one is optional. FYI..none of this is illegal. It’s all backed by law. But legal and fair are not the same thing. The middle class does not steal electricity. We do not qualify for lifeline rates. We do not get 4Ps. We just pay full VAT, fund everyone else’s discounts, and absorb costs that should never have been ours to begin with. Every month. Without relief. What actually needs to change: 1. Reform the generation charge. One line item cannot be more than half your bill and go unchallenged. 2. Stop passing system loss to consumers. Other countries make the utility absorb it. We should demand the same. 3. Move faster on renewables. Lower generation costs long-term. That transition is already overdue. 📸 CTTO
