Group asks SC to stop Sara Duterte impeachment trial

The Supreme Court has been asked to immediately suspend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over questions surrounding the constitutional authority of the Senate's presiding officer.

In a "Very Urgent Manifestation with Motion," a group led by lawyer Israelito Torreon urged the high court to issue a status quo ante order or similar interim relief to stop the proceedings until it resolves the constitutional issues involving the Senate leadership.

The motion stemmed from the opening day of Duterte's impeachment trial on 6 July, when Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano questioned the authority of the presiding officer.

According to the petitioners, the issue is no longer theoretical because it now directly affects the validity of the impeachment proceedings.

"The events confirm that the constitutional infirmity attending the composition and leadership of the Senate... has surfaced squarely within the impeachment proceedings," the motion stated.

The group argued that the authority of the impeachment court's presiding officer is derived from the Senate proceedings held on 3 June 2026, whose validity is separately being challenged before the Supreme Court.

"If those proceedings are void, then the authority of the presiding officer is necessarily placed under grave constitutional doubt," the petitioners said.

They argued that Duterte is entitled to be tried before a constitutionally constituted impeachment tribunal led by a lawfully authorized presiding officer.

The petitioners also warned that allowing the trial to continue could result in irreversible procedural and institutional consequences should the Supreme Court later invalidate the Senate proceedings.

"It is precisely to avoid this scenario... that petitioners respectfully urge this Honorable Court to resolve, at the earliest opportunity," the motion read.

The group likewise asked the Supreme Court to coordinate its resolution of the pending petitions questioning the 3 JuneSenate proceedings, arguing that both cases involve the same constitutional issues affecting the impeachment trial.

Earlier, the Supreme Court consolidated two petitions challenging the constitutionality of the impeachment process—one filed by Torreon and fellow lawyers, and another filed separately by Duterte—both alleging constitutional and procedural violations during the House impeachment proceedings.