August 6, 2025
MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered Vice President Sara Duterte and lawyer Israelito Torreon to submit their comments on the appeal filed by the House of Representatives seeking to reverse the court’s July 25 ruling, which declared the impeachment complaint unconstitutional.
Duterte and Torreon were given 10 non-extendible days from receipt of the notice to comply.
READ: House to SC: Don’t burden impeachment trial with new rules
READ: House appeals SC ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment case
In its 70-page motion for reconsideration, the House of Representatives—through the Office of the Solicitor General—argued that the impeachment process should not be encumbered by requirements and technicalities not explicitly stated in the Constitution.
In its ruling, the SC laid down a seven-point guideline to ensure fairness in impeachment proceedings. These include providing the respondent with a copy of the Articles of Impeachment and the supporting evidence, as well as granting reasonable time to respond.
While the House acknowledged that due process must be observed, it emphasized that the Constitution already guarantees this under Article XI, Section 3, through the Senate impeachment trial.
“Article III works to protect citizens from the overwhelming machinery of the government, Article XI is a tool for citizens to seek accountability against those who hold the most power in said machinery,” the House said.
“These are not called for by the Constitution, and unduly interferes in the House’s own prerogatives to conduct impeachment proceedings,” it added.
They pointed out that under the Constitution, the “single act to trigger transmittal to and eventually trial in the Senate” is the filing of a complaint backed by 1/3 of the House membership.