Sara Duterte impeachment ruling sparks constitutional storm in Philippines

Monday’s opening of the Philippines’ Congress has been thrown into chaos by a Supreme Court ruling that effectively killed the long-awaited impeachment trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

The Supreme Court’s decision, delivered late on Friday, quashed the Senate’s long-delayed trial on a technicality, ruling that the impeachment violated the constitutional “one-year rule” against multiple proceedings within a year for the same official.

On Sunday, the presidential palace issued a statement stating that President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration “respects but disagrees with the ruling”. The 15-member court’s decision does not exonerate Duterte-Carpio, nor does it bar future impeachment attempts, but – if followed – it effectively postpones any new proceedings until 2026.

Of the 14 justices who concurred, 12 were appointed by the vice-president’s father, former leader Rodrigo Duterte. Justice Marvic Leonen, who delivered the majority opinion, was appointed by the late president Benigno Aquino. Even Marcos’ lone appointee joined the majority. Only one justice abstained, citing “official business”.

The impeachment saga began in February, when the House of Representatives impeached Duterte-Carpio and sent the case to the Senate. But instead of proceeding, the Senate repeatedly stalled, pointing to procedural concerns and scheduling conflicts, until the Supreme Court’s intervention last week.