Imee, Ping: Respect SC decision on VP Sara impeachment

Some senators on Wednesday insisted that the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) blocking the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte should be respected, before the upper chamber convenes for a session.

For Senator Imee Marcos, the Senate cannot simply choose which part of the SC ruling it will comply with as the high court already said it is immediately executory. 

“If we subscribe to the view that we should wait the resolution of the [motion for reconsideration], then we would not be respecting the ‘immediately executory’ portion of the decision,” Marcos said. 

“Worse, we will be reducing the decision to a mere [temporary restraining order] or status quo ante order which is not the intent of the SC,” she added. 

The House of Representatives, through the Office of the Solicitor General, on Monday filed a motion for reconsideration (MR), seeking to reverse the SC decision. The House argued it should be allowed to perform its exclusive duty to prosecute an impeachable official, and the Senate's to try the case.

Senator Marcos, however, said that it is “highly unlikely” that a unanimous SC decision will be overturned due to the motion. 

“And in the very unlikely case na it will be overturned, what is the guarantee na hindi mag-MR sina VP Sara? Or even if ma-affirm ang decision, what is the guarantee na walang second MR? Baka by the time ma-resolve lahat ng MRs, lampas na February 6,” she said. 

(And in the very unlikely case that it will be overturned, what is the guarantee that VP Sara will not file a motion for reconsideration? Or even if the decision is affirmed, what is the guarantee that there will not be a second MR? By the time all the MRs get resolved, it may already be past February 6.)

Voting 13-0-2, the SC earlier declared the articles of impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional, stressing that it is barred by the one-year rule under the Constitution and that it violates her right to due process.

The high court said the Senate cannot acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings.

However, the SC said it is not absolving Duterte from any of the charges against her and that any subsequent impeachment complaint may be filed starting February 6, 2026.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, for his part, said that his position to respect and not disobey the SC “has not changed and will not change.”

“That said, I read the motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives through Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe, and I would say I am in agreement with my legal staff and other legal observers that it was very well-written and argued why the Court should take a second look at the case at bar,” Lacson said. 

“As for the impending Senate debate on this issue, it is best to exercise prudence and wait for the Supreme Court to rule with finality,” he added. 

The Senate is set to discuss and decide on the SC decision on August 6, according to Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday. 

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said on Tuesday that should there be a motion in the plenary to dismiss the Vice President's impeachment case, the so-called Duterte bloc will "most likely" vote in favor of it. 

Senate Minority Leader Vicente "Tito" Sotto III also said he expects that the debates will be long. 

Senator Erwin Tulfo, meanwhile, said his desire for the impeachment trial to continue still stands, emphasizing that he wants the public to see the evidence on the Articles of Impeachment. —KG, GMA Integrated News