A group of brave citizens is asking the Supreme Court to change its mind after it stopped the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. They believe the Court made a big mistake—and they want to fix it.
Let’s break this down in a way you can understand 👇
🧑⚖️ What Did the Supreme Court Do?
Not long ago, some people filed impeachment complaints against VP Sara Duterte. That means they were asking the government to investigate her for allegedly using secret money (confidential funds) in the wrong way.
There were four complaints in total.
But only the fourth one was taken seriously and sent to the Senate, where trials are supposed to happen.
Then, the Supreme Court (SC) suddenly stepped in and said,
❌ “Nope! This case is not allowed anymore because of the one-year rule.”
⏳ What Is the One-Year Rule?
The Philippine Constitution says that only one impeachment case can be started against the same official within one year. The Court said the first three complaints counted as already “started” — even if they didn’t go very far.
So when the fourth complaint came, they said, “Too late. One year rule!”
😡 But the Complainants Disagree!
People like Sylvia Estrada Claudio and Teresita Quintos Deles say the Supreme Court misunderstood what “started” really means.
They explained that according to the Court’s own past decision, a case only officially begins when it’s passed on to the House Justice Committee — and that never happened with the first three complaints.
👉 So, in their view, the one-year clock never started, and the fourth complaint should still be valid!
📣 Who Are These People Fighting for the Case?
Aside from Claudio and Deles, others joined them in this fight:
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Percival Cendaña (a congressman from Akbayan)
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Eugene Gonzales
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Yvonne Jereza
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Alicia Murphy
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Filomena Cinco
They all signed a formal request to the Supreme Court called a “motion for reconsideration ad cautelam” — that’s just a fancy legal term that means, “Please, dear Court, think about this again.”
🏛️ What About the Senate?
Claudio also said that the Senate had already started preparing for the impeachment trial. And according to her, the Senate—not the Supreme Court—should decide what happens next.
She believes the Supreme Court went too far in stopping something that wasn’t even finished yet.
🗣️ Can Citizens Criticize the Supreme Court?
Yes! Claudio reminded everyone:
📢 “Even regular people like us have the right to criticize officials, even the Supreme Court itself.”
She believes that citizens should speak up if they feel something unfair is happening.
🌟 So What’s the Drama All About?
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Some Filipinos filed a case to remove VP Sara from office.
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The Supreme Court stopped it, saying “you already used your one chance this year.”
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But the petitioners say, “Nope—we didn’t even start properly yet!”
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Now they want the Court to rethink its decision.
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Meanwhile, the Senate already started planning the trial. So… who really gets to decide?
🎭 This is a real-life drama involving big names, big rules, and big decisions that could shape the country’s future.
