SARA DUTERTE’S IMPEACHMENT

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte secured a significant legal victory on Friday as the Supreme Court unanimously struck down an impeachment complaint filed against her, ruling it unconstitutional.

The lower house of Congress had moved to impeach Duterte in February, citing accusations of misusing public funds, accumulating unusual wealth, and allegedly threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the House Speaker.

While the Supreme Court clarified that its ruling does not absolve Duterte of these charges, the decision is widely seen as a major boost for her political aspirations, particularly her potential 2028 presidential bid. A conviction in an impeachment trial would have barred her from holding public office for life.

Duterte, who has been in a bitter feud with President Marcos, maintained that the impeachment efforts were politically motivated. “This unanimous decision has once again upheld the rule of law and reinforced the constitutional limits against abuse of the impeachment process,” her lawyers stated.

The high court concurred with Duterte’s argument that Congress violated a constitutional safeguard prohibiting more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a single year. The complaint that reached the Senate was the fourth filing against her, with the first three not having been acted upon.

“The articles of impeachment, which was the fourth complaint, violated the one year period ban because there were three complaints that came ahead of it,” Supreme Court Spokesperson Camille Ting explained in a media briefing. Consequently, the Court ruled that the Senate lacked the authority to convene an impeachment tribunal.

President Marcos has previously distanced himself from the impeachment proceedings against his estranged Vice President, stating that the executive branch could not intervene. There was no immediate comment from members of the House prosecution panel following the ruling.

The Supreme Court noted that a fresh complaint could be filed against Vice President Duterte once the one-year ban expires. Duterte’s legal team affirmed their readiness, stating, “We remain prepared to address the allegations at the proper time and before the appropriate forum.”

Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently in the custody of the International Criminal Court in connection with his administration’s bloody war on drugs. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Malacañang’s reaction

In a Facebook post, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said, “We have yet to review the full text of the Supreme Court’s decision. We call on everyone to respect the Supreme Court and place their trust in our institutions.”

“The impeachment process is a matter handled by the legislative and judicial branches, and we recognize their independence in carrying out their constitutional mandates,” PCO added.