Statement of House of Representatives on Supreme Court Ruling over Duterte’s Impeachment Articles
The House of Representatives issued a statement over the decision of the Supreme Court on the Articles of Impeachment vs. Vice President Sara Duterte.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is surrounded by issues over her alleged misuse of the Confidential Funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education when she was the DepEd secretary. It was in 2024 when the Vice President left her post as the education chief as well as her post in the Marcos Cabinet.
In February, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives after several hearings over the issues about her alleged misuse of the Confidential Funds. The Vice President ditched most of the inquiries set by the lower chamber.
Four impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte. The fourth complaint was transmitted to the Senate but the upper chamber, as an impeachment court, has ruled to return to the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives.
Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero clarified that the return of Duterte’s impeachment does not mean the dismissal or termination of the impeachment case against her. According to him, it is an opportunity for the prosecution team to answer questions before the Senate decides on the matter.
Out of the 23 senator judges, only five (5) of them opposed the motion to remand Duterte’s impeachment to the House. The votes of 18 senators approved the motion but it became a controversial topic:
YES
- Alan Peter Cayetano
- Pia Cayetano
- Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa
- JV Ejercito
- Chiz Escudero
- Jinggoy Estrada
- Bong Go
- Lito Lapid
- Loren Legarda
- Imee Marcos
- Robin Padilla
- Bong Revilla
- Francis Tolentino
- Raffy Tulfo
- Joel Villanueva
- Cynthia Villar
- Mark Villar
- Juan Miguel Zubiri
NO
- Koko Pimentel
- Risa Hontiveros
- Sherwin Gatchalian
- Grace Poe
- Nancy Binay
Recently, the Supreme Court declared the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as “unconstitutional”. The high court stressed that the complaint is “barred by the one year rule”.
Following the ruling of the Supreme Court on the Articles of Impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, the House of Representatives issued a statement. Based on a report on GMA News, the chamber’s spokesperson, Atty. Princess Abante, expressed respect on the verdict of the court but stressed that their exercise of their constitutional duty cannot be stopped.
“The House of Representatives has yet to officially receive a copy of the Supreme Court’s decision. We will review it with the utmost respect once furnished. That said, we respect the Supreme Court. But our constitutional duty to uphold truth and accountability does not end here,” Abante said.
The House Spox also stressed that the “impeachment is a political act rooted in the people’s will—no legal technicality should silence it”. Based on the report, Abante also claimed that a judicial interference on the matter allegedly places risks on the principle of checks and balances.
“This is not about one person. Ito ay laban para sa karapatan ng taumbayan na maningil ng pananagutan sa gobyerno,” the House said.