Philippine top court throws out impeachment complaint against V-P Sara Duterte
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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte has said the move to impeach her was politically motivated.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MANILA - Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte scored a big legal win on July 25 after the Supreme Court struck down an impeachment complaint against her, ruling it was unconstitutional.
The Philippines’ Lower House of Congress impeached Ms Duterte in February
The court said it was not absolving Ms Duterte of the charges, but the ruling may nevertheless be a huge boost for her political ambitions. She is widely seen as a strong contender for the 2028 presidency, which Mr Marcos cannot contest due to a single-term limit for Philippine presidents, but an impeachment trial conviction would have seen her banned from office for life.
Ms Duterte has said the move to impeach her, which came amid a bitter feud with Mr Marcos, was politically motivated.
“This unanimous decision has once again upheld the rule of law and reinforced the constitutional limits against abuse of the impeachment process,” her lawyers said in a statement.
Ms Duterte is the daughter of firebrand former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court
In a unanimous decision, the country’s top court agreed with Ms Duterte’s contention that Congress violated a constitutional safeguard against more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a year.
More than 200 members of the Lower House had endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint to the Senate, having not acted on the first three filings.
“The articles of impeachment, which was the fourth complaint, violated the one-year-period ban because there were three complaints that came ahead of it,” Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting told a media briefing.
As a result, the Senate then did not have the authority to convene an impeachment tribunal, the court added.
Mr Marcos has distanced himself from the proceedings against his estranged Vice-President, saying the executive branch cannot intervene in the matter. His office said on July 25 the court’s decision must be respected.
A Senate spokesperson said the Upper Chamber was duty-bound to respect the court’s ruling.
There was no immediate comment from members of the House prosecution panel, but a spokesperson for the Lower House said that while it respects the court, “its constitutional duty to uphold truth and accountability does not end here”.
The Supreme Court said a fresh complaint could be filed against Ms Duterte once the ban expires.
“We remain prepared to address the allegations at the proper time and before the appropriate forum,” her lawyers said. REUTERS
