Vice President Sara Duterte asked everyone to respect the decision of the Senate after they stopped moving forward with her impeachment case. This happened the day after the Supreme Court said the impeachment was not valid.
What Happened in the Senate
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On Wednesday, the Senate held a very long meeting.
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They voted 19 yes, 4 no, and 1 abstained (abstained means they didn’t choose yes or no).
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The Senate decided to “archive” the impeachment papers. This means they put them away and will not continue with the case for now.
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They followed the Supreme Court’s order, which said the impeachment was not allowed because it was the fourth complaint in just one year. The law only allows one impeachment case per year for an official.
Sara Duterte’s Reaction
Sara Duterte said:
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We need to respect the Senate’s role and decision.
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Her lawyers had already prepared for this possible outcome before the trial began.
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She expects more impeachment cases to be filed against her from 2026 to 2028.
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She is ready to answer them if they come.
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She said her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at The Hague, was happy with the result.
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She promised to keep working even if her office budget gets smaller.
Her Criticism of Malacañang
Sara also criticized Claire Castro, the spokesperson of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), for saying she went to Kuwait without official permission.
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Sara called this “political gaslighting.”
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She said it was not true and that she had proper travel authority.
President Marcos’ Statement
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. explained that:
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The Supreme Court only looked at procedures, not the actual details of the case.
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The decision doesn’t mean Sara is innocent or guilty — it only means there was a technical problem in how the impeachment was filed.
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The issue was about the dates and how the House of Representatives handled it, not the contents of the complaint.
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He also said the President has no role in impeachment cases because these are handled only by the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court.
Why the Impeachment Case Was Filed
House Public Accounts Committee Chair Terry Ridon said:
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The impeachment was about holding Sara accountable for:
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The use of confidential funds
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Threats made against the President, the First Lady, and the House Speaker
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He said the House could refile the impeachment in February 2026 if the Supreme Court allows it.
Makabayan Bloc Fights Back
Members of the Makabayan bloc (a group of progressive lawmakers) filed a request with the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision and reopen the case.
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They believe impeachment should be easy for the public to use to hold leaders accountable.
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They said the Supreme Court’s new rules make it harder for people to impeach government officials.
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They argued that:
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The House of Representatives did not abuse its power.
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The one-year limit did not apply in this situation.
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There’s no rule saying which type of impeachment comes first.
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Due process rules don’t apply at the very start of impeachment.
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The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) supported them, saying the Constitution already gives clear impeachment rules and that the Supreme Court’s extra rules have no basis in law.
In short:
The Senate stopped Sara Duterte’s impeachment because the Supreme Court said it broke the rules. Sara says we should respect that decision, but many lawmakers and groups are fighting back, saying the ruling makes it harder to hold leaders accountable.
