House eyes revisions to impeach rules vs VP Sara
Some leaders of the House of Representatives are pushing to rewrite its impeachment rules to build an airtight case against Vice President Sara Duterte that aligns with the latest Supreme Court ruling.
This, while the House is awaiting the decision on its motion for reconsideration challenging the high court’s decision on the impeachment case against Duterte.
“Without conceding the pending motion for reconsideration, we will have to come up with rules that are ‘Supreme Court-proof’ and in a way cognizant with what the indications presented in the latest ruling on the third mode,” House committee on higher and technical education chair and Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre said over the weekend.
Acidre also said that the House would adopt the new impeachment rules for the 20th Congress in alignment with the ruling of the high court, to ensure that any future cases are “procedurally airtight and built on clear guidelines.”
“I’m sure when things are procedural and there’s greater clarity on the part of the House and more clear guidelines from the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence, I don’t think it’s going to affect the final result, which is to make sure that we have a strong impeachment complaint should an impeachment be filed in the House,” Acidre added.
House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms chair and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong highlighted that the high court’s decision was based on a technicality and not on the substance of the impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President last year.
“The decision of the Supreme Court regarding the impeachment was more on the technicality and not on the merits of the case that we filed,” Adiong said.
Still in recess
However, the House remains at a standstill as the high court has yet to grant the motion for reconsideration, and Congress has yet to resume its session.
“With regard to the motion for reconsideration, it is still in the Supreme Court and we’re waiting for the Supreme Court action on that. So presumably if ever it is lifted or the motion for reconsideration is given due course, we expect the process will take off where it started, where it ended,” Acidre said.
The case stemmed from three impeachment complaints against Duterte, filed by private individuals and different groups on Dec. 2, Dec. 4 and Dec. 19, 2024.
A fourth complaint was lodged by a resolution approved in February 2025 by 215 House members, citing allegations of misuse of confidential funds, threats against ranking officials and other possible violations of the Constitution.
But in a 13-0-2 decision, the Supreme Court on July 25, 2025, declared the articles of impeachment unconstitutional because it is barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and that it violates the right to due process enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
However, the high court said it is not absolving Vice President Duterte from any of the charges against her, but any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting Feb. 6, 2026. Therefore, the Senate did not acquire jurisdiction over the case.
