Impeachment now an impossible dream, says Tito Sotto

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Thursday said impeachment has become an impossible dream after the Supreme Court upheld its decision in August 2025, declaring the impeachment by the House of Representatives of Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional.

In a message to reporters, Sotto branded the SC ruling on the impeachment process "a clear encroachment" on the powers of the legislative branch.

“The decision is a clear judicial legislation. The SC, as written in their decision, admitted of introducing a rule for Congress to follow in the conduct of impeachment. A clear encroachment on the power of the Legislative branch, as provided for by the Constitution,” the Senate President said. 

“Impeachment is now an impossible dream,” he added.

GMA News Online is trying to get a comment from the SC and would publish it as soon as it is available.

Earlier in the day, SC court spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting announced that the SC En Banc “denied with finality” by a unanimous vote of all those participating, the motion for reconsideration filed by the House, which sought to reverse the decision that declared the articles of impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional.

The SC en banc affirmed that the fourth impeachment complaint transmitted to the Senate on February 5, 2025, was already barred by Article XI, Section 3, Subsection 5 of the Constitution, according to Ting. 

In reaction, Sotto said that it is “a sad day” for Constitutional Law students and professors.

“The Constitution had just been amended unconstitutionally through the Supreme Court's overreach. It will take decades of retirements to correct this misinterpretation. When the law is clear, there is nothing to interpret, as any first-year law student knows,” Sotto said. 

Senator Imee Marcos, meanwhile, expressed belief that another impeachment complaint will be filed against Duterte next month even after the SC upheld its decision. 

“This is a victory for the rule of law and a reminder that no matter how powerful are the people behind the impeachment of VP Sara, no one is above the Constitution,” Imee said. 

“But whilst there will be no more shortcuts, we are full[y] certain that another impeachment complaint will be filed after February 6,” she added. 

To recall, three impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte in December 2024, all of which were connected to the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

It was the fourth impeachment complaint that was endorsed by over one-third of lawmakers from the House of Representatives and was later transmitted to the Senate as the Articles of Impeachment.

In August last year, the Senate voted to transfer to the archives the articles of impeachment against her, following the Supreme Court decision declaring her impeachment unconstitutional.