MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Senate, the House of Representatives, and its Secretary General to explain their side after Vice President Sara Duterte filed a petition to stop the latest impeachment complaint against her.
What Is VP Sara Duterte’s Petition About?
Vice President Duterte is asking the Supreme Court to cancel the fourth impeachment complaint filed against her. She argues that it is unconstitutional because, according to the 1987 Philippine Constitution (Article XI, Section 3, Clause 5), an official cannot face more than one impeachment case in a single year.
Since this is already the fourth attempt to impeach her within the same year, she believes it should be invalid and immediately canceled.
Why Does She Think This Is Wrong?
VP Duterte says that allowing another impeachment complaint to proceed would be unfair and could weaken the stability of public office. She also accused the House of Representatives of purposely delaying the process for the first three complaints. She believes this was done on purpose so that a stronger fourth complaint could be prepared against her.
She claims this violates the law and abuses the legislative process.
What Is She Asking the Supreme Court to Do?
- Stop the Senate from handling the fourth impeachment complaint.
- Issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to immediately pause the case.
- Cancel the impeachment complaint entirely to prevent any further legal action.
- Declare the actions of the House of Representatives and its Secretary General as an abuse of power.
What Did the Supreme Court Do?
After receiving VP Duterte’s petition, the Supreme Court ordered the following officials to submit their responses within 10 days:
- The House of Representatives
- Secretary General Reginald Velasco
- The Senate
The Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether or not the fourth impeachment complaint can continue.
What Happens Next?
The House, Senate, and its officials now have 10 days to explain their side. After that, the Supreme Court will review the case and decide if VP Duterte’s request to cancel the impeachment complaint will be granted.
This case could set an important legal precedent for how impeachment complaints are handled in the future.
