NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 26 July) — The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the impeachment case filed against Vice President Sara Duterte violated the country’s constitution due to a key technicality, a decision that blocks her upcoming trial over a raft of criminal allegations, including her threat to have the president, the first lady, and the Speaker of the House assassinated.
The ruling was “immediately executory,” the court said.
The House of Representatives, which impeached Duterte in February and sent the case to the Senate for trial, violated, accordingly, a rule that only one impeachment case could be processed by the lower chamber against an impeachable official in a single year, enshrined by Article XI, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the Constitution.
The House received at least four separate impeachment cases against Duterte between December and February. but only one was transmitted to the Senate, which would have served as an impeachment tribunal.
The other three impeachment cases were placed in the House’s order of business but were archived with no action and “effectively dismissed,” according to the ruling.
The Court said it is not absolving Vice President Duterte from any of the charges against her, but any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026, says SC spokesperson Camille Ting.
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros voiced deep disappointment over the ruling, emphasizing that no public official, including the Vice President, should be beyond scrutiny. “All officials of the land have to answer to every Filipino,” Hontiveros said, stressing that the right of the people to hold high-ranking officials accountable must remain intact. She warned that the Court’s decision could set a dangerous precedent, weakening future efforts to uphold transparency and accountability in government.
Hontiveros overreacted and missed something.
For while the highest court stopped the impeachment trial, it did not dismiss the cases against the controversial Vice President.
VP Duterte remains accountable for the high crimes she has allegedly committed. The Ombudsman may prosecute her for the corruption charges against her and be tried by the Sandiganbayan, being a government official. She could also be tried by the International Criminal Court for her crimes against humanity, arising from the extra-judicial killings of drug personalities and other suspects she perpetrated as mayor of Davao City.
Senator Bam Aquino said that despite the Supreme Court ruling, the Senate impeachment court will proceed with the trial of the impeached Vice President because it is constitutionally mandated.
If the Senate takes the stand of Aquino and insists on its independence, this could lead to a constitutional crisis. Our institutional structures and arrangements may go awry.
Prudence dictates that the Senate give way to the highest tribunal of the land to maintain equilibrium in our governance structures. A stalemate undermines and is disruptive of the order and harmony of the nation.
After all, February 6, 2026, is not a long wait. And VP Sara Duterte is already hooked and can in no way wiggle away from the law.
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)
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