House to appeal dismissal of Duterte impeachment case

National

THE House of Representatives will file a motion for reconsideration to appeal the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a statement, House spokesperson Princess Abante cited "grave factual errors" in the SC's decision of declaring the impeachment complaints against the Vice President unconstitutional.

The complaint against the Vice President, containing seven articles of impeachment, was not immediately put on trial by the Senate impeachment court.

Abante argued that while the House respects the SC's ruling, it highlighted concerns that it was based on findings that are contradictory to the official record of the House of Representatives.

In a report by Manila Bulletin, Abante stated that the high court might have "inadvertently rewritten the rules of impeachment."

“Ang Kamara, matapos ang masusing pag-aaral, ay maghahain ng Motion for Reconsideration dahil ang Desisyon – na nagsasabing ang articles of impeachment na ipinadala sa Senado ay barred o unconstitutional – ay nakaangkla sa mga factual premises o findings na mali at salungat sa opisyal na rekord ng Kamara,” she said.

Abante stressed that the court's main claim that the articles of impeachment were transmitted to the Senate without plenary approval, was “categorically false".

“Noong Pebrero 5, 2025, si Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe ang nagmungkahi na ipasa ang Pebrero complaint sa Senado, batay sa katotohanang ito ay verified at pirmado ng hindi bababa sa 1/3 ng mga miyembro ng Kamara. Ang mosyong ito ay inaprubahan sa plenaryo, at agad ring bumuo ang Kamara ng panel of public prosecutors,” said Abante.

Abante also claimed that the complaint's submission to the Senate was the "clear result of plenary action".

Abante underscored that this was clearly recorded in House Journal No. 36 and in the official record of the House of Representatives.

The SC also pointed out the House's supposed failure to act on the earlier three impeachment complaints filed December of last year. Abante denied this, and stated that the lower chamber had voted to archive the three impeachment complaints hours before they adjourned on February 5.

“Ayon sa Konstitusyon, ito ay itinuturing nang articles of impeachment at obligadong ipadala sa Senado para sa paglilitis,” she said.

Abante characterized SC's conclusion, that the February complaint violated the one-year bar rule, as coming from a “factual and procedural inversion".

“Ang pinakabatayang saligan ng desisyon kung saan umikot ang mga legal pronouncements ng Korte ay mali. Hindi isinama ang plenary vote, mali ang pagbasa sa timeline ng mga kilos ng Kamara, at mas pinaniwalaan ang isang news article kaysa sa House Journal at opisyal na report na isinumite mismo sa Korte,” Abante stated.

The camp of the Vice President previously asked the SC to dismiss the impeachment complaint on technical grounds. The Office of the Secretary General (OSG) is representing the House in the case.

Concerns about the SC's interpretation of due process was also raised by Abante, she also claimed that it imposed new, "very stringent requirements" that neither exist in the 1987 Constitution nor the House rules. (Marlon Ado Jr., USC Comm Intern)