House to appeal SC ruling voiding Sara Duterte Articles of Impeachment

The House of Representatives is preparing to file a motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s decision to void the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing that the ruling was based on what it described as incorrect findings that contradict official records.

In a video message released on Sunday, House of Representatives spokesperson Atty. Priscilla Marie “Princess” Abante said the House has studied the SC decision, and found that the bases for it were alarming.

“Ang Kamara, matapos ang masusing pag-aaral, ay maghahain ng motion for reconsideration dahil ang desisyon na nagsasabing ang Articles of Impeachment na ipinadala sa Senado ay barred or unconstitutional ay nakaangkla sa mga factual premises o findings na mali at salungat sa opisyal na record ng Kamara,” she said.

(The House, after thorough study, will file a motion for reconsideration because the decision declaring that the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate are barred or unconstitutional is based on factual premises or findings that are incorrect and contrary to the official records of the House.)

This comes as the SC ruled unanimously to declare that the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional and imposing a one-year ban, as it said these violate the right to due process.

SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting noted, however, that the SC is not absolving Duterte from any of the charges against her, but any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.

According to Abante, the decision claimed that articles were transmitted to the Senate without a plenary vote, which she said was “categorically false” and wrong, as she said the plenary voted on February 5, 2025, with at least a third of the House members, as detailed in House Journal 36.

Abante also said the High Court wrongly claimed that the House did not act on the first three impeachment complaints, as she said these were acted on and were archived on the same day, prior to the chamber adjourning session.

“Ang pinakabatayang saligan ng desisyon kung saan umikot ang mga legal pronouncement ng Korte ay mali. Hindi isinama ang plenary vote, mali ang pagbasa sa timeline ng mga kilos ng Kamara, at mas pinaniwalaan ang isang news article kaysa sa House Journal at opisyal na record na isinumite mismo sa Korte,” she said.

(The fundamental basis of the decision, on which the Court’s legal pronouncements were anchored, is flawed. The plenary vote was excluded, the timeline of the House’s actions was misread, and a news article was given more weight than the House Journal and official records that were submitted to the Court itself.)

Abante likewise said the SC gave new rules that are not in the Constitution nor in the governing rules of the House of Representatives citing due process, even if the chamber followed previous rulings of the High Court.

“It should also be said, kung due process at opportunity to be heard ang usapan, ilang beses nang naimbitahan si Vice President Sara Duterte sa mga pagdinig ng Committee upang siya ay mabigyan ng pagkakataong ipaliwanag ang kaniyang panig, ngunit nananatili siyang tikom ang kaniyang bibig,” Abante said.

(It should also be said that when it comes to due process and the opportunity to be heard, Vice President Sara Duterte was invited multiple times to the Committee hearings to give her a chance to explain her side, but she has consistently remained silent.)

“It is for these reasons the House will be filing a motion for reconsideration. We remain hopeful that once facts are corrected, the Court will arrive at a different and more just conclusion,” she added.

Three impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte in December 2024, all of which were connected with the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

The fourth impeachment complaint, endorsed by over one-third of lawmakers from the House of Representatives, was later on transmitted to the Senate.

Duterte, for her part, entered a “not guilty” plea in the verified impeachment complaint filed against her, which she called merely a “scrap of paper.” — RF, GMA Integrated  News