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January 29, 2026 | 6:05pm
Facade of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Philstar.com / Ian Laqui
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has denied the petition of the House of Representatives attempting to reverse the decision declaring the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional.
In a unanimous vote of all participating justices on January 28, the high court, with finality, affirmed its July 25, 2025, decision, which declared the articles of impeachment unconstitutional.
The ruling definitively blocks the fourth impeachment complaint transmitted to the Senate on Feb. 5, 2025, citing a violation of the constitutional one-year bar rule.
In a press release, the high court clarified that the initial three impeachment complaints filed against Duterte triggered the constitutional clock, even though they were not placed in the order of business within the required ten session days.
The Supreme Court interpreted "session days" in its plain and ordinary sense to mean any calendar day in which the House of Representatives holds a session, rather than strictly legislative session days.
Further elaborating on the landmark Gutierrez v. House of Representatives case, the high court detailed that an impeachment is deemed initiated when a verified complaint is referred to the Committee on Justice.
The high court also pointed out that the initiation must occur within the term of Congress to be valid.
In July 2025, the Supreme Court declared the impeachment of Duterte unconstitutional, saying that the impeachment complaint is barred by the one-year rule.
Duterte was accused of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes, including bribery and conspiracy to commit murder.
In a statement, Vice President Sara Duterte said that they acknowledged the Supreme Court's resolution.
"We thank the Honorable Court for a ruling that now definitively lays down clear and authoritative guidance on the constitutional limits and proper treatment of impeachment proceedings," Duterte said in a statement.
"With these issues settled by the Court, the matter is now closed. We should then move on to address the nation's other pressing concerns," she added.
