MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court en banc ruled unanimously on Friday that the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte were unconstitutional and barred by the one-year rule stipulated in the 1987 Constitution. The Court emphasized that due process and fairness must be upheld at all stages of impeachment proceedings.
In its decision, the Court cited Article 11, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which prohibits the filing of more than one impeachment complaint against the same official within a one-year period. The ruling also underscored the importance of fairness in legal processes, quoting, “The end does not justify the means,” and, “There is a right way to do the right thing at the right time.”
As a result, the Court declared that the Senate did not have jurisdiction over the current impeachment complaints against Vice President Duterte. However, the decision does not absolve the Vice President from the allegations raised in the complaints filed last year. The Court clarified that any new impeachment complaints against Duterte may only be filed after Feb. 6, 2026.
The case originated from four separate impeachment complaints. The first three complaints were filed by private individuals and groups before the House of Representatives on Dec. 2, 4, and 17, 2024. The fourth complaint was initiated through a resolution passed by more than one-third of the members of the 19th Congress on Feb. 5, 2025.
