The Supreme Court (SC) unanimously denied with finality the House of Representatives’ motion for reconsideration, upholding its July 25, 2025 ruling that declared the impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional.
In an immediately executory resolution, the SC said no further pleadings will be entertained.
The ruling reinforced the Constitution’s one-year bar, finding that the fourth impeachment complaint sent to the Senate on February 5, 2025 was prohibited because the impeachment process had already been initiated earlier within the same year.
The Court clarified that a “session day” means any calendar day the House holds session, not a legislative session day. It ruled that the one-year ban was triggered when earlier verified complaints were not timely placed in the Order of Business or were referred to the Committee on Justice.
The SC also explained the two modes of initiating impeachment and stressed that House rules must comply with constitutional safeguards, including due process.
It emphasized that endorsing members must have full access to the complaint and evidence.
The Court rejected the use of the operative fact doctrine and reiterated that fairness and non-arbitrariness apply to impeachment proceedings.
Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa took no part, while Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh was on leave.IMT
