Philippine Supreme Court bars impeachment against Vice President

The impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives was rejected on the grounds of violating the 1987 Constitution, which stipulates that an official may only be subject to one impeachment process per year.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte in a press conference in Manila in February 7, 2025 (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte in a press conference in Manila in February 7, 2025 (Photo: Kyodo/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippine Supreme Court on July 25 barred impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, citing a constitutional violation that prohibits multiple impeachment proceedings within a one-year period.

Camille Ting, spokesperson of the Supreme Court, said the impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives was rejected on the grounds of violating the 1987 Constitution. The Constitution stipulates that an official may only be subject to one impeachment process per year.

The court clarified that the ruling does not exempt Duterte from accountability regarding the allegations she faces. The House of Representatives may initiate a new impeachment process after February 5, 2026.

Since December 2024, members of the Philippine House of Representatives have submitted four impeachment proposals against Sara Duterte, accusing her of corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other charges.

Duterte has firmly denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated attempts to derail her potential presidential bid in the 2028 election, when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term ends./.

VNA

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