MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio welcomed a Supreme Court decision that struck down the House of Representatives’ attempt to revive her impeachment, calling the move an “abuse” of the process and thanking her supporters and legal team for defending her case.
The Supreme Court en banc unanimously denied with finality the House’s motion for reconsideration of its earlier ruling that the articles of impeachment against Duterte-Carpio were unconstitutional. The decision effectively blocks the Senate from proceeding with an impeachment trial.
Speaking to reporters in The Hague on Thursday, the Vice President expressed gratitude to those who stood by her.
“Unang pasalamat ko sa Diyos… Pangalawang pasasalamat ko ay sa mga abogado na nagtulong-tulong para kuwestyunin yung pag-abuso ng proseso ng impeachment ng House of Representatives,” Duterte-Carpio said.
“Pangatlo ay ‘yung pasalamat ko sa lahat ng mga kababayan na patuloy na naniniwala at nagtitiwala sa akin,” she added.
When asked whether she had informed her father about the ruling, Duterte-Carpio said she deliberately avoided the topic during their meeting.
“Kanina, hindi ko na binanggit sa kanya ‘yung denial ng motion for reconsideration doon sa kaso dahil ayaw ko na pag-usapan ‘yung impeachment. Mas mabuti na pag-usapan ang mga bagay na mas may relevance sa buhay natin at sa bayan kaysa doon sa impeachment,” she said.
The House impeached Duterte-Carpio in 2025 over allegations of graft, corruption, and an alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., her former running mate.
Her lawyers challenged the process, arguing that three earlier complaints filed in the House — though acted upon only at the committee level — already constituted impeachment proceedings.
The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that pursuing another case within the same year violated the constitutional ban on multiple impeachment proceedings. The high court also said a new impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.
Duterte-Carpio said her legal team has long been preparing for the possibility of renewed efforts to remove her from office.
“’Yung mga lawyers, they’ve been preparing. They were hired as early as fourth quarter of 2023, the moment that one of the members of the House of Representatives announced that they will file a case against me. At na kumpirma ko ‘yun sa loob ng opisina ng Speaker noon,” she said.
“At hanggang ngayon, tuloy-tuloy pa naman ‘yung mga abogado and legal team. And ‘nung nakaraang taon, bago mag-Christmas break, ay napag-usapan din namin ‘yung paghahanda sa impeachment,” she added.
The Vice President said she expects similar complaints to continue until the end of her term in 2028.
“Hindi lang ngayong taon na ito, dahil sigurado kapag hindi sila nakapag-file ngayong taon, susunod na taon at hanggang matapos ang aking termino, ganoon ang gagawin nila — makapag-file sila ng kaso impeachment man o hindi,” she said./PN
