THE Supreme Court (SC) issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) barring the Senate from examining five foreign currency accounts in Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) owned by impeached SC Chief Justice Renato Corona has continued to draw flak yesterday among lawmakers.

Cavite Rep. Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga, the lead prosecutor for Article 2 or Corona’s alleged failure to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), berated the SC decision which stemmed from the petition of PSBank, adding that the Higher Court should not get in the way of the impeachment court.

“The Supreme Court does not have jurisdiction over any matter involving the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona,” said Barzaga who is going to argue before the SC on the petition of Corona to order the stoppage of the impeachment court proceedings.

“In such dire event, the sole power of the Senate to try and decide  impeachment cases would be illusory. It certainly diminishes the sole power of the Senate to try and decide impeachment cases,” Barzaga added.

In a related development, a group of progressive party-list lawmakers dubbed as Makabayan bloc condemned in the strongest possible terms the ruling of SC.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño, Gabriela Reps. Luzviminda Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and  Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino are scheduled to file this Monday a formal resolution expressing the sentiments of the House of Representatives against the TRO.

They said the TRO was a clear attack on the constitutional mandate of Congress and a form of sabotage to derail the impeachment proceedings.

Casiño said “by restraining the impeachment court from finding out the truth of CJ Corona’s multiple dollar accounts, the Supreme Court is courting the Filipino people’s anger for hiding the truth. By abusing their powers to protect one of their own from public accountability, the SC is treading on dangerous ground. We condemn the SC’s move as an attack on the power of the House of Representatives to prosecute impeachment complaints and call on the Senate not to back down on this blatant challenge to its authority.”