MANILA — Malacañang clarified that while it respects the Supreme Court’s decision to stop the Senate from proceeding with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, it does not necessarily agree with the ruling.
Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro emphasized that acknowledging the authority of the Supreme Court does not equate to believing its decision was correct.
“Siyempre alam naman natin final arbiter ang Supreme Court,” Castro said in an interview with DZMM Teleradyo.
“Iba kasi ‘yung nire-respeto mo ang desisyon ng Supreme Court, iba naman ‘yung pinaniniwalaan mo ba kung tama ba ‘yung desisyon ng Supreme Court. Magkaiba ‘yun,” she added.
Still, Castro maintained that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has kept a “hands-off” stance on the impeachment issue, respecting the separation of powers and leaving the matter to Congress.
“So may pagkakataon masasabi natin na ‘Uy, mukhang mali ang Supreme Court dito dahil mukhang hindi nasunod ‘yung mga dating jurisprudence.’ Pero kapag nagsalita ang Supreme Court, wala tayong magagawa kundi irespeto ito,” she said.
On Friday, the Supreme Court halted the impending Senate impeachment trial of Duterte-Carpio, ruling that it violated the Constitution’s one-year bar on multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official.
However, the Court clarified that the decision does not clear Duterte-Carpio of the allegations, only that no new impeachment case may proceed until February 2026.
In response, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House of Representatives would seek legal remedies and file a motion for reconsideration.
The House had impeached Duterte-Carpio in early February on charges of graft, corruption, and her alleged involvement in an assassination plot against President Marcos Jr., her former ally and running mate./PN
