While talk of a double impeachment swirls, the majority in Congress appears to have lost their appetite for the divisive process.
The biggest coalition in the House of Representatives, the National Unity Party, said it will not support moves to oust either President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or Vice President Sara Duterte.
House Deputy Speaker Antipolo City Rep. Ronnie Puno, the NUP chairman, said the legislative branch’s paramount aim at the moment is to regain the public trust, not to introduce a new source of conflict.
“Enough of this fighting and bickering. Pure politics; we all know it leads nowhere. Because with the Senate now, in my view, it’s hard for anyone to actually be impeached,” Puno voiced the stand of his party.
Although someone is expected to file a complaint and this cannot be prevented, its progress is unlikely and it won’t lead to another impeachment, he said.
He added: “Getting the votes, the 130 signatures, that’s no longer there. First, the Supreme Court decision has made this more difficult for the system itself. So I think it will go to the committee and let’s leave it there.”
Sara Duterte became the first VP in the nation’s history to be impeached on charges of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President, and earlier as education secretary for the submission of supposedly questionable liquidation documents.
Charges also included a conspiracy to assassinate President Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the House Speaker.
The first three complaints filed on 2, 4, and 19 December 2024 by private individuals and groups were not decisively addressed by the House.
On 5 February 2025, the House fast-tracked the process via a resolution signed by more than one-third, or 240, of 306 members.
The Senate organized as an impeachment court, with the senators taking their oath as judges, but the proceedings faced immediate legal hurdles.
In June 2025, the Senate voted to remand the articles to the House to address constitutional questions, rather than proceeding directly to trial or outright dismissal.
On 25 July 2025, the Supreme Court, in a unanimous 13-0-2 decision, ruled the Articles of Impeachment unconstitutional.
The Court held that the three earlier complaints were deemed archived/terminated, thereby rendering the fourth complaint subject to the one-year bar rule and due process requirements.
This prevented the Senate trial from proceeding, as the upper chamber lacked jurisdiction.
A significant portion of the High Tribunal’s decision was its emphasis on the Bill of Rights, particularly the due process clause and the right to speedy disposition, which it held must apply to all stages of impeachment, not just the Senate trial.
The ruling held that VP Duterte was denied the opportunity to be heard or respond before the articles of impeachment were finalized and transmitted to the Senate, rendering the process unfair and violative of due process.
Puno said the basic consideration now is the economy, which has weakened due indirectly to the political strife and the corruption scandal.
“We need to focus on the problems. We can’t keep doing this — just pure politics. And there’s really no good reason for it,” according to the House veteran.
Puno said a twin impeachment would not occur simultaneously and would consume most of Congress’ time if it were to proceed.
“For the Vice President, it looks like the one year will end in February. That’s why I’m hearing that many people are already thinking about it. As far as I know, and I may be wrong, the case against President Marcos was filed around May. So it hasn’t been one year yet. That would be in May. So they might not be simultaneous,” Puno explained.
The nation has been derailed from its development trajectory and must regain its footing, even as it confronts syndicated corruption that has long kept the population mired in poverty.