Senate shelves Sara impeachment raps

The Senate on Wednesday archived the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, even as the House of Representatives filed a Motion for Reconsideration before the Supreme Court questioning its ruling that the impeachment complaints were unconstitutional.

Following more than six hours of deliberations, 19 senators voted in favor of archiving the Articles of Impeachment. Senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, and Vicente Sotto III opposed the move, while Senator Panfilo Lacson abstained.

Before the vote to archive, Sotto filed a motion to table the discussion and defer it to a later date. However, the chamber rejected the motion with a 19–4-1 vote, pushing forward with the proceedings.

“I reiterate that the Supreme Court decision is not yet final, kahit paano mo baliktarin, so make no mistake: This was an act of the Senate. It is our institution that, in the words of colleagues, killed the Articles of Impeachment,” Hontiveros said in explaining her dissenting vote.

“Madismiss man natin ngayon o ma-archive ang Articles of Impeachment, mas mahirap i-dismiss o i-archive ang daing ng mga tao sa pananagutan at katarungan,” she added.

Senator Joel Villanueva, who voted to archive, emphasized that his decision reflected his respect for both the Constitution and the Supreme Court.

“Kaya po, sa liwanag ng ating Saligang Batas, at bilang paggalang sa pasya ng Korte Suprema—habang kinikilala na may nakabinbing Motion for Reconsideration na isinampa ng House of Representatives—this representation votes to adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring the impeachment complaint unconstitutional, without prejudice to the final disposition of the said motion,” he said.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada also voted to archive the impeachment raps, asserting that democratic integrity lies in respecting constitutional processes—even when they defy personal convictions.

“The strength of the lies is not in bending institutions to their will, but in bending themselves to the will of the constitutional framework,” Estrada said.

“Our true power is revealed not when we flamboyantly get our way, but when we gracefully accept outcomes that defy our preferences. Our honor rests in respecting and embracing decisions that contradict our personal beliefs. And our legacy—our legacy is a democracy that works, preserved by our willingness to submit to something greater than our feelings, our pride, our ego, our very selves,” he added.