MANILA. Vice President Sara Duterte has formally petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify her impeachment and block an impending Senate trial, arguing that the process was procedurally defective, constitutionally infirm, and jurisdictionally void.
Duterte’s legal team filed the petition on Tuesday, challenging the February 5 impeachment decision by the House of Representatives, which is largely controlled by allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The vice president faces allegations of plotting to assassinate the president and misusing public funds in a high-profile political battle that has rocked the administration.
Duterte’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, asserted that the impeachment process in the House of Representatives was rushed, depriving lawmakers of the opportunity to properly examine the complaint before it was transmitted to the Senate.
“This is part of a plan probably to eliminate her as a probable contender in the 2028 presidential elections,” Torreon told reporters. “It could not be described as anything other than political persecution.”
Under the Philippine Constitution, an impeachment conviction in the Senate trial, scheduled after Congress resumes on June 2, would permanently bar Duterte from holding public office.
The impeachment complaint stems from Duterte’s controversial remarks during a November 23 online news conference, where she allegedly said that she would have President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated if she were to be killed amid their political dispute. Duterte has denied the statement was a literal threat, insisting it was taken out of context.
Additionally, she is accused of misusing intelligence funds during her tenure as both Vice President and Secretary of Education. Duterte has yet to issue a comprehensive public response to the allegations of graft and corruption.
Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was Marcos’ running mate in the 2022 elections, but their alliance has since unraveled. The political divide widened as Marcos began publicly criticizing the Duterte administration’s controversial war on drugs and its perceived lack of action against China’s aggressive moves in the South China Sea.
Tensions escalated further last week when Rodrigo Duterte suggested during a campaign rally that 15 senators should be killed to create vacancies for his allies in the upcoming midterm elections. In response, Philippine police filed criminal complaints against the former president on Monday.
As the political landscape intensifies, the Supreme Court’s decision on Sara Duterte’s petition could determine the trajectory of her political career and the broader power struggle within the Philippine government.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
