Senate to Vote on Impeachment Proceedings following Supreme Court Ruling on VP DuterteS Case
MANILA, Philippines – The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, is poised to decide whether to continue deliberations on the impeachment articles filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, following a pivotal ruling from the Supreme Court. The court received the Supreme Court’s decision on Friday evening, July 25, 2025, and will now vote on how to proceed, according to Senate Impeachment Court spokesperson Regie Tongol.”Yes, as part of the usual deliberative process of any collegial body based on Senate rules,” Tongol confirmed in a Viber message to reporters over the weekend.
This progress comes after the Supreme Court unanimously declared the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President duterte as unconstitutional, citing violations of the right to due process. However, supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting clarified that this ruling does not absolve duterte of the charges themselves. Instead, any new impeachment complaint can onyl be filed starting February 6, 2026.
The Supreme Court’s decision stems from a petition filed by Vice President Duterte and lawyer Israelito Torreon, among others, who sought to nullify the Articles of Impeachment lodged against her.
In the wake of the announcement, Tongol emphasized that the Senate Impeachment Court is “duty-bound” to respect the finality of the High Court’s rulings. “The Senate, sitting as an Impeachment Court, has always acted in deference to the Constitution and the rule of law. As a co-equal branch of government,we are duty-bound to respect the finality of rulings issued by the High Court,” he stated previously.
Despite the Supreme Court’s declaration, senators have expressed differing views on whether the senate can still move forward with the trial. Constitutional law expert Domingo “Egon” Cayosa opined on Saturday that the Senate might still choose to proceed,perhaps asserting its “exclusive power” in impeachment matters.
Vice President Duterte faced three impeachment complaints in December 2024, all related to allegations of misuse of confidential funds. A fourth complaint, endorsed by a important bloc of House of Representatives members, was subsequently transmitted to the Senate. Previously,Duterte had entered a “not guilty” plea to a verified impeachment complaint,dismissing it as a mere “scrap of paper.”
