Vice President Sara Duterte has petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the impeachment proceedings against her, challenging its constitutionality and seeking to prevent the Senate from moving forward with the trial.
Her legal team, led by the Fortun, Narvasa, and Salazar law firm, filed the petition on February 18, arguing that the impeachment violates the constitutional provision barring multiple proceedings against the same official within a year.
Among Duterte’s legal counsel is her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting confirmed the filing, stating that the petition is now under review. Duterte’s legal team has requested a writ of prohibition to prevent the Senate from acting on the impeachment, asserting that the process is unconstitutional and should be immediately stopped.
Sara Duterte’s Legal Team Calls Impeachment Politically Motivated
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with 215 lawmakers backing the complaint.
The allegations include the misuse of confidential funds and issuing threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte’s petition insists that these charges are politically motivated and that the impeachment process did not follow constitutional requirements.
Mindanao Lawyers Join the Fight: Challenging the Impeachment’s Validity
In addition to Duterte’s petition, a group of 29 lawyers from Mindanao also sought Supreme Court intervention on the same day.
Led by Israelito Torreon, a legal counsel for detained preacher Apollo Quiboloy, the group argued that the impeachment complaints lacked proper verification, rendering them legally defective.
They also requested a temporary restraining order to suspend the proceedings.
Senate’s Response: Will the Impeachment Trial Be Delayed?
The Supreme Court has directed the Senate to respond to Duterte’s petition within ten days.
However, Senate President Francis Escudero has indicated that the trial is unlikely to begin before President Marcos Jr. delivers his State of the Nation Address on July 28, citing the upcoming midterm elections as a contributing factor to the delay.
