In February, Sara Duterte faced impeachment by the lower house on multiple allegations, including substantial corruption and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte has categorically denied all accusations.
After intense discussions among members, including attempts by a friend of Duterte to dismiss the case, the senators decided not to conclude the trial but to return it to the lower house for verification of constitutional compliance.
Eighteen senators voted in favor of sending the case back, while five opposed the decision. Activists protested outside the Senate, criticizing Senate President Chiz Escudero and those senators who supported the motion to return the impeachment complaint.
According to The Washington Post, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who has called for an expedited trial, stated, “There is no `remand’ or `return’ in the constitution. Our obligation is to try and decide.”
Many lawmakers supporting Duterte’s impeachment were political allies of Marcos. Advocates for the vice president claimed that legislators breached the constitution and congressional regulations to impeach her and hinder her potential presidential run in 2028, after Marcos’ six-year term concludes.
“I think we have upheld our oath to be politically neutral,” remarked Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a supporter of Duterte who initiated the move to return the case to the house, as reported by Reuters.
Senators indicated that the trial will officially commence, as they have summoned Duterte to respond to the charges, despite sending the case back to the lower house until a newly constituted Congress is ‘willing and ready’ to pursue the impeachment complaint. She will have ten days to comply, with the new Congress set to convene at the end of July.
Later on Tuesday, Duterte’s office reaffirmed a previous statement expressing her readiness to “expose the baselessness of the accusations.”
“The impeachment process must never be weaponised to harass, silence, or eliminate political opponents,” it stated.
According to a report in the South China Morning Post, Marcos has distanced his office from the impeachment proceedings. When questioned about his stance at a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur on May 27, he stated, “How many times do I have to say that? I didn’t want impeachment. All my allies in Congress did not file an impeachment complaint [against her]. So, why do I have to keep explaining that I did not want impeachment?”
Duterte is the daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested in March and taken to the Netherlands to face allegations of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Jun 11, 2025 2:20 PM IST
