Senate archives Articles of Impeachment vs. VP Sara

The Senate moved to transfer the Articles of Impeachment in relation to the complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte to the chamber’s archives, with 19 affirmative votes, 4 negative votes, and 1 abstention.

Senator Rodante Marcoleta earlier made a motion to “move to dismiss” the impeachment complaint, which was met with a “motion to table” by Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III.

Sotto’s motion to table Marcoleta’s motion received 5 votes in favor and 19 against, with no abstentions.

Marcoleta initially sought to dismiss Duterte’s impeachment case but later agreed to have it archived instead.

The High Court had earlier declared the impeachment complaint “unconstitutional, void ab initio” and held that the Senate lacked jurisdiction over the matter.

The Senate's action follows a growing consensus among several senators that the chamber must abide by the SC decision, which is considered “immediately executory” despite the pending motion for reconsideration.

The chamber acted on Marcoleta’s motion, and the impeachment case against Duterte appears headed for formal archiving—effectively ending any further Senate proceedings on the matter, for now.