SC ruling fears behind impeachment complaint setback — Makabayan

Members of the Makabayan bloc on Monday expressed dismay over the House justice committee’s decision to set aside the first impeachment complaint they filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.

ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Jane Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise Co said the committee erred in invoking the one-year bar rule to dismiss their complaint.

“We are deeply dismayed by the action of the Justice Committee today, where our impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was set aside based on the one-year bar rule. We firmly maintain that no constitutional provision or House rule was violated when we filed our complaint on 2 February, and we stated our position clearly at the committee,” the bloc said in a statement.

The group argued that the February 6 reckoning previously cited in relation to the one-year bar no longer applies, following a Supreme Court ruling issued in January 2026 that modified the basis for computing the prohibition period.

Citing the new ruling, the bloc said the one-year bar took effect on Jan. 15, 2026, when the House failed to include three impeachment complaints in the order of business within 10 session days. It added that the high court also redefined a “session day” as one calendar day.

“A plain reading of the January 2026 Supreme Court ruling will bear this out,” the lawmakers said.

Beyond the procedural dispute, the bloc said the controversy stemmed from what it described as delays and interventions by key institutions during earlier impeachment efforts.

The lawmakers claimed that the impeachment process last year was not allowed to proceed in full, alleging that President Marcos Jr., the Senate, and the Supreme Court each played a role that ultimately shielded the Vice President from accountability.

They said the resulting legal complications are now being borne by complainants and citizens seeking accountability.

“This is grossly unfair, unjust and unacceptable. The one-year bar, as it is now being wielded, is double-edged and threatens to become yet another instrument by which those in power protect one another from the consequences of their actions,” the bloc said.

The lawmakers maintained that the public should not have to navigate legal obstacles that they said were created by powerful officials.

“We strongly disagree with the setting aside of our complaint on these grounds. More importantly, we call on the House of Representatives to assert its constitutional authority and independence,” they said, adding that the chamber has the power to craft its own impeachment rules.

Makabayan also stressed that the allegations against Duterte involve serious issues affecting public trust and national interest, and insisted that the charges should be heard.

“The Filipino people deserve nothing less. We will remain vigilant, active, and uncompromising throughout this entire process. The Makabayan Bloc did not file this complaint to play procedural games. We filed it because the people demand accountability, and we will pursue that accountability with every means available to us,” the group said.