The Senate voted on Monday to transfer to the archives the articles of impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte. This decision came after the Supreme Court ruled the impeachment unconstitutional, citing violations of the one-year rule and due process. The vote passed with 19 senators in favor, 4 against, and 1 abstention.
The decision followed a motion initially filed by Senator Rodante Marcoleta to dismiss the articles outright. However, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva proposed an amendment to simply archive the documents instead of dismissing them entirely, which Marcoleta accepted. Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero emphasized that this action upholds the Constitution and the rule of law, choosing to respect the Supreme Court’s authority.
Those who voted against archiving, including Senators Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan, and Minority Leader Tito Sotto, argued that the Senate was abandoning its constitutional duty to try impeachment cases. Sotto questioned the validity of archiving documents that are technically part of an impeachment court’s jurisdiction, while Hontiveros called it a departure from the Senate’s mandate under the 1987 Constitution.
Despite the archiving, Senate President Migz Zubiri noted that the case may be revived if the pending motions for reconsideration before the Supreme Court are granted. Meanwhile, the Vice President’s camp said they are now focused on submitting the required response to the High Court’s order. The Supreme Court maintained that while Duterte is not absolved of the accusations, any new impeachment complaint can only be filed starting February 6, 2026.
