Update on VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Case Following Ruling of Supreme Court
SARA DUTERTE – Six (6) complainants behind the impeachment charges against the Vice President seek the reversal of the Supreme Court ruling.
Prior to the opening of the 20th Congress and ahead of the supposed expected date for the start of the Senate impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Duterte, the Supreme Court declared the impeachment complaint against Duterte “unconstitutional”. The court found that the complaint did not abide by the one year rule.
Four (4) impeachment complaints were filed against the Vice President in 2024. On the part of the complainants, they argued that the first complaints were not referred to the Committee on Justice.
The last impeachment complaint filed against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was the one transmitted to the Senate. However, shortly after the senators took their oath as senator judges, the Senate impeachment court ruled to return the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives.
Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero then claimed that the return of Duterte’s impeachment to the House does not equate to the dismissal or termination of the impeachment case. According to him, it is a chance for the prosecution to address the questions over the impeachment complaint before the court decides.
Previously, Senator Joel Villanueva claimed that some senators have agreed to start the impeachment trial of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte on August 4. However, ahead of the opening of the 20th Congress, the Supreme Court ruling was released.
The ruling of the SC declaring the articles of impeachment against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte “unconstitutional” is immediately executory but a motion for reconsideration may be filed. Recently, some of the complainants filed the motion.
Based on a report on PhilStar, the members of civil society coalition Tindig Pilipinas filed the motion for reconsideration seeking for the reversal of the decision of the Supreme Court over the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
According to the group’s convener, Sylvia Claudio, aside from the seeking for the reversal of the SC ruling, they also hope for a “legal status” to participate in challenging the legality of the decision of the court.
Based on the report, the complainants want to be allowed to participate to challenge the ruling of the Supreme Court as they “severely disagree” against the decision of the Supreme Court. They urge the Senate to push through with the trial.
“We urge the Senate to continue the impeachment trial, forthwith. We believe that the Supreme Court overstepped the Senate [process]. The Senate has already started with the impeachment proceedings and the Constitution is clear that it is the Senate which has mandate to hold impeachment trial,” Claudio said.
Recently, amid the confusions as to whether the Senate will proceed with the trial or not, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada claimed that 19-20 senators are likely to abide by the Supreme Court ruling over the impeachment case of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.