After wishing for a “bloodbath” last year, Vice President Sara Duterte has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to issue a temporary restraining order against the House of Representatives from continuing the “unconstitutional” impeachment proceedings against her.
In a 58-page petition for certiorari and prohibition dated March 30, Duterte argued that the House Justice Committee was encroaching on the Senate’s jurisdiction by conducting a “trial in disguise.”
“…Its members’ use of various nomenclatures such as ‘mini-trial,’ ‘hearing proper’ or a ‘process akin to preliminary investigation’ does not change its true nature,” the petition stated.
Duterte and her camp previously snubbed the impeachment hearings after Justice Committee Chairperson and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro called the proceedings a “mini-trial.”
The vice president added that the proceedings lacked due process, claiming that procedural due process means providing a “genuine and meaningful opportunity to be heard.”
Duterte was given a 10-day window on March 5 to reply to the impeachment complaints against her. She filed her answer on March 15 — the final day — stating there was “nothing for [her] to answer.”
Meanwhile, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon labeled Duterte’s petition as a “clear attempt to mislead the SC and the public.”
Ridon, a member of the House justice panel, stated that prior rulings by the SC already support the process undertaken by the committee.
“Even Duterte v. House recognizes that it is the process within the committee on justice that determines which complaints proceed and which are dismissed,” he said.
Regarding due process, Ridon argued that the justice committee’s actions were firmly grounded in the Constitution, the Rules on Impeachment, and existing SC jurisprudence.
Duterte has also asked the high court to issue a permanent ruling to void the proceedings and prevent the legislative branch from taking further action on impeachment complaints.
“There is a reason why impeachment is the road less travelled – it is often the wrong road. No less than the Constitution reserves this sui generis process to the vilest and most treasonous of grounds committed by an exclusive list of impeachable government officials,” the petition stated.
Duterte was first impeached in February 2025 for culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
These violations included the misuse and malversation of public funds, inciting to sedition and rebellion, allowing extrajudicial killings to continue in Davao during her term as mayor, and threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Her trial was subsequently blocked by the SC in July, with the Senate archiving the Articles of Impeachment in August.
Written by Yuahn Zachary Guilas, Insight PH
Yuahn Zachary Guilas, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
