The Supreme Court en banc ruled on Friday unanimously said that the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte are unconstitutional and barred by the one-year rule stipulated in the 1987 Constitution.
The high bench emphasized that due process and fairness must be upheld at all stages of impeachment proceedings.
In its decision, the Court cited Article 11, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which prohibits the filing of more than one impeachment complaint against the same official within a one-year period.
The ruling also underscored the importance of fairness in legal processes, quoting, "The end does not justify the means," and, "There is a right way to do the right thing at the right time."
Because of this, the Court declared that the Senate does not have jurisdiction over the current impeachment complaints against Vice President Duterte.
But the decision does not absolve the Vice President from the allegations raised in the complaints filed last year. The Court clarified that any new impeachment complaints against Duterte may only be filed after 6 February 2026.