Impeachment an 'impossible dream’, says Sotto

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January 30, 2026 | 11:14am

MANILA, Philippines — Following the Supreme Court (SC) finalizing its ruling declaring the impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional, Senate President Tito Sotto called this an overreach on the high court’s end.

“Impeachment is now an impossible dream!” Sotto told reporters through Viber.

The Senate President called the SC decision “judicial legislation,” pointing out that the court itself admitted to introducing a new rule for Congress to follow during an impeachment process.

“A clear encroachment on the power of the Legislative branch, as provided for by the Constitution,” Sotto said.

It was a sad day for constitutional law students and professors, he added. Sotto believed that it would take several decades of retirement to correct the SC’s misinterpretation.

“When the law is clear, there is nothing to interpret,” Sotto said.

In a later press briefing, Sotto emphasized that his stance had nothing to do with personalities but with the implications that the SC decision held on the Constitution.

Sotto had already condemned the previous Congress’ handling of Duterte’s impeachment case. The House and the Senate went back and forth with Duterte’s impeachment after the latter questioned the former’s handling of the case. The Senate had garnered widespread criticism for its handling of the impeachment, with many pointing out that it refused to handle the case "forthwith," as was prescribed in the Constitution.

Congress is soon expected to deal with two simultaneous impeachment cases, with two complaints lodged against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and several lawmakers planning to re-file another case against Duterte.