MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team is prepared for any impeachment complaint that may be filed against her once the one-year ban imposed by the Supreme Court (SC) expires in February.
“‘The lawyers have been preparing. They were hired as early as the fourth quarter of 2023, when one of the members of the House of Representatives announced that they would file a case against me,” Duterte said in a mix of Filipino and English during a media interview in The Hague, Netherlands, on Thursday.
“Not just this year, because for sure, if they don’t file this year, they will do the same next year and until my term ends,” she added.
The SC on Thursday denied with finality the House of Representatives’ appeal to reverse its July 25, 2025, ruling declaring the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional. The high court unanimously ruled that the fourth impeachment complaint, transmitted to the Senate on February 5, 2025, was prohibited under Article XI, Section 3 (5) of the Constitution, which states that “no impeachment shall be initiated against the same person more than once within a period of one year.”
This ruling clarified when an impeachment complaint is considered “initiated,” which triggers the one-year ban.
Meanwhile, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Friday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will respect the Supreme Court ruling and that it will not affect the administration’s priority bills.
“So again, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter of legal issues, so the President respects that,” Castro said.