Sara's Impeachment Unconstitutional — SC

Unanimous ruling does not touch merits of case

- ELIZABETH MARCELO

In a unanimous vote, the Supreme Court declared the Articles of Impeachment lodged by the House of Representatives against Vice President Sara Duterte "unconstitutional," saying that it violates the one-year rule under the Constitution as well as her right to due process.

"Our fundamental law is clear: the end does not justify the means. There is a right way to do the right thing at the right time. This is what the rule of just law means. This is what the fairness or due process of law means, even for impeachment," SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting said as she quoted portions of the SC decision in a press conference yesterday afternoon.

"However, the Court said it is not absolving Vice President Duterte of any of the charges against her. But any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting Feb. 6, 2026," Ting said.

She said the Supreme Court, in a 13-0-2 decision, found the Articles of Impeachment, more commonly referred to as the impeachment complaint, filed by the House against Duterte at the Senate last Feb. 5, to be violative of the one-year rule under Article 11, Section 3 of the Constitution as well as of Duterte's right to due process enshrined under Article 3 or the Bill of Rights also of the Constitution.

"Therefore, the Senate could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings," Ting said, expounding on the SC's ruling.

Article XI, Section 3 (5) of the Constitution states that "No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year." Three impeachment complaints were filed by private citizens and groups against Duterte late last year but they were never tackled in the plenary. Instead, the House, with 215 votes, approved a fourth impeachment complaint last Feb. 5, which was immediately followed by the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate.