Senate Votes to Archive Impeachment Case Against Duterte
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate voted to archive the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, prompting her to express heartfelt gratitude to God. This significant development came after 19 senators supported the motion to archive the case, while four opposed it and one abstained.
Senator Imee Marcos, who was among those voting to archive the case, shared that she exchanged messages with Duterte following the Senate’s decision. “We just texted. She was sending Bible quotations,” Marcos said during the regular Kapihan sa Senado forum. When asked if Duterte personally thanked her, Marcos replied, “Just thankful to the Lord. That’s all.”
Senators’ Stand on Archiving the Case
The senators who voted to archive the case included Marcos, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Senators Alan and Pia Cayetano, Ronaldo “Bato” Dela Rosa, JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Christopher “Bong” Go, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Rodante Marcoleta, Robin Padilla, Erwin and Raffy Tulfo, Camille and Mark Villar, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Opposing the motion were Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senators Risa Hontiveros, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, and Bam Aquino. Senator Panfilo Lacson abstained, preferring to wait for the Supreme Court’s final ruling.
Legal Context and Implications
Earlier, the Supreme Court ruled that the impeachment complaint against Duterte was unconstitutional due to violating the one-year rule for filing impeachment cases. Despite this, the House of Representatives requested the high court to reconsider its decision.
With the Senate’s vote to archive the case, Senator Marcos declared the impeachment complaint “dead but not buried.” She explained, “Yes, it’s dead but it is not really buried. But yes, it’s dead in effect because it is in the archives.”
Senate President Escudero noted that the complaint could still be revived if the Supreme Court reverses its ruling. The Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate on February 5, the same day the House impeached Duterte with 215 votes.
For more news and updates on impeachment case against Duterte, visit Filipinokami.com.
