Supreme Court Ruling (July 25, 2025)
On July 25, 2025, the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that the impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte was unconstitutional. The Court cited a fundamental violation of the “one-year rule” under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the 1987 Constitution, which prohibits initiating more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a single year. In this case, because three prior complaints were already filed—and considered dismissed—in December 2024 and early 2025, the fourth complaint filed in February was deemed invalid.
Due Process Violations Highlighted
In addition to the timing technicality, the Court emphasized several due process deficiencies, including:
Lack of transparency: Evidence and complaint materials were not made available to all House members.
No opportunity to be heard: Duterte wasn’t given a chance to respond to the complaint before it was transmitted to the Senate.
Immediate Consequences
The ruling nullified the Senate proceedings: As a result, the Senate lacked jurisdiction to continue the impeachment trial.
Refiling is barred until February 6, 2026, one year after the last active complaint—effectively halting any impeachment attempt during that period.
Legislative and Political Responses
Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel argued that any attempt to dismiss the impeachment without a full trial would itself be unconstitutional. He insisted the Senate must convene as an impeachment court before rendering any final action.
On June 10, before the Supreme Court ruling, senators returned the impeachment case to the House due to unresolved legal uncertainties—including scheduling concerns—rather than proceed with a trial.
Following the Supreme Court decision, some House members filed a motion for reconsideration, and on August 6, the Senate voted to archive the complaint based on the Court’s 97-page ruling.
