SONA 2025 protesters slam hurdles to VP Sara Duterte impeachment

Groups on Monday protested against the obstacles to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was among those to blame for the delay. 

Several groups marched along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City to call for action from the government as Marcos delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). 

Former ACT Teachers party-list representative France Castro expressed disappointment over the developments in the vice president’s impeachment case. 

“Sino ang dapat na sisihin kung bakit nagkakaroon ng delay sa pagpapanagot sa impeachment? Si Marcos, ang liderato ng Senado. Dahil inuuna pa ang mga personal na mga posisyon, personal na mga interes laban sa hustisya. Ang Supreme Court, inuna pa ang kapakanan ni Sara Duterte,” she said. 

(Who should be blamed for the delay in impeachment? Marcos, the leadership of the Senate. Because personal positions, personal interests are prioritized over justice. The Supreme Court put benefiting Sara Duterte welfare before it.) 

“Hindi tayo titigil hangga’t hindi mapatalsik si Sara Duterte. Patalksin si Sara Duterte, i-impeach si Sara Duterte. Tayo yung magsisilbing hukom at gagamitin ang buong lansangan para gawin nating korte. So tayo ay maniningil kay Sara Duterte, [at] kay Marcos na nagpabaya,” Castro added. 

(We will not stop until Sara Duterte is ousted. Depose Sara Duterte, impeach Sara Duterte. We will serve as judges and use the streets as our court. So we will blame Sara Duterte, [and] Marcos for his dereliction.) 

Kiko Aquino Dee, one of those who filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte, called out the government's slow action on what he called the misappropriation of funds.

“Simpleng ang mga tanong namin. Tama ba ang paglustay ng pera ng DepEd sa kalagitnaan ng isang krisis sa edukasyon? Tama ba ang pagbanta ng karahasan at pagpatay sa kahit sinong mamamayang Pilipino? Imbes na sagutin ang mga tanong na ito, pinaglaruan ng kamara ang impeachment complaint mula Disyembre hanggang Pebrero,” said Dee, referring to the questions of Duterte's handling of the education department's funds when she was secretary, and to her threats against Marcos.

(Our questions are simple. Was it right for the Department of Education to waste money in the middle of an education crisis? Is it right to threaten with violence and kill any Filipino citizen? Instead of answering these questions, the chamber toyed with the impeachment complaint from December to February.) 

“Nagpatumpik-tumpik ang Senado mula Pebrero hanggang Hunyo at ginawang mas makitid ng Korte Suprema ang butas ng karayum na kailangan natin daanan para makapit ang hustisya ngayong Hulyo,” he added, in reference to the Supreme Court's ruling that the articles of impeachment against Duterte were unconstitutional. 

(The Senate chose to relax from February to June and the Supreme Court narrowed the needle we must pass through to get justice this July.) 

“Hanggang ngayon naghuhugas-kamay ang Malacañang dahil ang pagpapanagot sa isang mataas ng opisyal ay hindi raw makakatulong sa iisang Pilipino. Hindi talaga nakakatulong ang impeachment sa mga makapangyarihan. Pero baka nakakalimutan nila, hindi lang sila ang mga Pilipino, Pilipino tayong lahat. Habang hindi napapanagot ang mga katiwalian at impunity, Pilipino ang ninanakawan. Pilipino ang pinapapatay,” Dee added. 

(Until now, Malacañang is washing its hands because it claims that holding a high official to account will not help a single Filipino. Impeachment does not really help the powerful. But maybe they forget, they are not the only Filipinos, we are all Filipinos. While corruption and impunity are not held accountable, Filipinos are the ones being robbed. Filipinos are being killed.) 

'No bite'

For his part, Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. said that Marcos’ SONA was “all bark but no bite.” 

“The tough talk on corruption ignored the most crucial corruption issue today: the impeachment of the Vice President and the abuse of so-called confidential funds. Mr. Marcos had nothing to say about the elephant in the room—the House impeached the Vice President, the Senate stalled the trial and the Supreme Court derailed the trial. How could the president not comment on a matter involving massive corruption, conflict among the different branches of government and the miscarriage of justice? How will we even take his anti-corruption rhetoric seriously?” he said in a statement. 

The SC's ruling is in relation to the consolidated petition filed by Duterte, lawyer Israelito Torreon, and others seeking to declare the Articles of Impeachment against her as null and void. 

Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting clarified that the high tribunal "is not absolving" Duterte from the charges against her, but added that "any subsequent impeachment complaint" may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.

This is a day after the one-year anniversary of House of Representatives impeachment of Duterte, including its endorsement of the fourth complaint that constituted the Articles of Impeachment.

The SC decision is immediately executory. However, Ting said the House of Representatives may still file a motion for reconsideration.

Religious groups join action 

Aside from progressive groups, members of the religious sector also joined the rally as they sought accountability from the Marcos administration on various issues. 

Reverend Carleen Nomorosa, ordained deacon of United Methodist Church, was joined by more than 90 seminarians and pastors. 

“Nandito kami dahil naniniwala kami na dapat i-convict si Sara Duterte at dapat singilin si Marcos sa kanyang pananahimik…at sa kanyang hindi pagtugon sa mga hinaing ng taong bayan,” she told reporters. 

(We are here because we believe that Sara Duterte should be convicted and Marcos should be charged for his silence...and his failure to respond to the grievances of the people.) 

For her part, Sister Shirley Mabunga of Missionaries of Perpetual Help said that joining the protests means being in one with the plight of the masses. 

“Bilang isang taong simbahan, nakikiisa kami rito para sa boses ng mga mamayan na humihingi ng katarungan at katotohan dahil sa mga nangyaring issues sa ating bansa, dahil na rin sa mga dinanas na kahirapan ng ating mga kababayan lalo ng mga nakalipas na bagyo,” she told GMA News Online. 

(As a church person, we are united here for the voice of the people who are asking for justice and truth because of the issues that happened in our country, also because of the hardships suffered by our countrymen especially in the past typhoons.) — BM, GMA Integrated News