Supreme Court: Impeachment must follow due process

By Gerome Dalipe IV

The Supreme Court has ruled that while impeachment is inherently a political process, it must still adhere to constitutional safeguards, including due process and the guarantees under the Bill of Rights.

In a 13–0–2 decision issued on July 25, the high court, through Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, struck down the Articles of Impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte on two major grounds: the violation of the one-year bar on repeat complaints and the failure to observe basic procedural rights.

Under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the 1987 Constitution, “no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.”

The court found that three earlier complaints against Duterte—filed by private individuals on Dec. 2, 4, and 19, 2024—had already been entered into the House Order of Business.

Although those complaints were later archived without action, the Supreme Court ruled that their mere inclusion triggered the constitutional prohibition, effectively barring any new impeachment complaint until Feb. 6, 2026.

In a landmark move, the court also established minimum procedural requirements that the House of Representatives must observe in future impeachment cases.

Among these requirements, the court emphasized that all House members—not just endorsers—must have access to the Articles of Impeachment and supporting evidence before any vote is taken.

It also ruled that respondents must be given an opportunity to respond to the charges before the complaint is transmitted to the Senate.

The House must also engage in meaningful deliberation beyond securing the one-third endorsement threshold to validate an impeachment complaint.

Additionally, the court clarified that impeachable offenses must be based on acts committed during the official’s current term.

“We cannot concede the sobriety of fairness inherent in due process of law to the passions of a political moment,” the decision stated.

Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa inhibited from the case, while Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh was on leave.

The ruling reaffirmed the Supreme Court’s role as the guardian of the Constitution.

“It is not our duty to favor any political result. Ours is to ensure that politics are framed within the Rule of Just Law,” Justice Leonen wrote.

While the decision invalidated the current impeachment complaint, it did not address the substance of the allegations against Vice President Duterte.

Instead, it clarified that any future effort to remove her from office must strictly follow constitutional and procedural rules.

The decision is immediately executory and will be transmitted electronically under the court’s e-filing guidelines.