Four possible outcomes of Sara Duterte case

The Senate was expected to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte but instead sent back the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives an unprecedented move in Philippine impeachment proceedings.

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Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna described the Senate’s move as an “uncharted territory,” marking the first time a remand has happened in an impeachment case.

Despite its novelty, he called the procedure “unique, but an allowable” way to ensure that the same articles could cross from the 19th to the 20th Congress.

“The all-important element is that the Impeachment Court has acquired jurisdiction over the case and is still on course to proceed to trial and decision without undue delay after the crossover,” Azcuna said in a Facebook post.

Supreme Court yet to rule: The legality of the Senate’s move remains unsettled, as the Supreme Court is currently weighing two petitions that challenge the impeachment proceedings.