Supreme Court: VP Sara impeachment ruling 'immediately executory'
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court reiterated that its decision dismissing the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte is “immediately executory,” even as petitions have been filed seeking to challenge the ruling.
In a press release following its En Banc session on Tuesday, August 5, the high court ordered Duterte and her counsel, lawyer Israelito Torreon, to comment on the motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives on August 4.
Duterte and Torreon earlier filed petitions challenging the impeachment complaints against the vice president, which the Supreme Court ultimately dismissed for violating the constitutional “one impeachment complaint per year” rule.
“To recall, on July 25, 2025, the SC granted the petitions to dismiss the fourth impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte. In a 13-0-2 Decision, with the Justices present voting unanimously, and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa inhibiting and Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh on leave, the SC En Banc ruled that the impeachment complaint was void for violating the one-year ban and due process requirements,” the Supreme Court said.
“This decision is immediately executory,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court noted that the motion to intervene, along with a motion for reconsideration, filed by Rep. Percival Cendaña (Akbayan Party-list) on July 25 remains pending action.
Several groups, including the 1Sambayan Coalition and Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance, have also asked the high court to reconsider its decision and to hold oral arguments on the case.
The SC ruling. On July 25, the Supreme Court declared the impeachment case against Duterte unconstitutional, ruling that the previous three complaints—dismissed and archived within a three-month period—had already constituted an “initiation” of proceedings, thus barring a fourth complaint within the same year.
The court also held that due process was violated, as Duterte was not given an opportunity to be heard, and the complaint was not made accessible to all House members for a reasonable time before its transmittal to the Senate.
Finally, the SC emphasized that while the House of Representatives must act on complaints within 10 session days, neither the House Speaker nor the Secretary General has discretion to determine when the 10-day period begins.
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