Senator Ronald Dela Rosa answers questions during the Harapan 2025 interviews at the ABS-CBN Headquarters in Quezon City on January 17, 2025. Michael Bagtas, ABS-CBN News

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174954683542920250124-harapan-bato-dela-rosa-mb-1 (2).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Senator Ronald Dela Rosa answers questions during the Harapan 2025 interviews at the ABS-CBN Headquarters in Quezon City on January 17, 2025. Michael Bagtas, ABS-CBN News/file"/>Senator Ronald Dela Rosa answers questions during the Harapan 2025 interviews at the ABS-CBN Headquarters in Quezon City on January 17, 2025. Michael Bagtas, ABS-CBN News/file</div>MANILA (3rd UPDATE) — Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; dela Rosa on Tuesday moved to dismiss the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte as he raised &quot;serious concerns&quot; in the articles of impeachment against her.In his privilege speech before senators were set to take oath as judges in the impeachment court, Dela Rosa, a staunch Duterte ally, alleged that the &quot;foundation&quot; of the articles of impeachment against the Vice President was &quot;constitutionally unsound.&quot;&quot;Kung gaano natin kabilis i-condemn at ipagiba ang mga istrakturang hindi ginawa nang maayos, ganoon din tayo kabilis umaksyon kung ang nalalagay sa alanganin ay ang ating Konstitusyon,&quot; he said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/10/debate-over-dela-rosa-speech-delays-oath-taking-for-sara-duterte-trial-1656">Debate over Dela Rosa speech delays oath-taking for Sara Duterte impeachment trial</a></div>&quot;In the spirit of true action therefore, allow me to end by moving, I respectfully move that in view of its constitutional infirmities and questions on the jurisdiction and authority of the 20th Congress, the verified impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte be dismissed,&quot; he said.Sen. Joel Villanueva objected to Dela Rosa&#x27;s motion and asserted that under the constitution, the Senate’s role “is expressly limited to trying and deciding all cases of impeachment after the House of Representatives has transmitted valid articles of impeachment.”The Senate “does not possess the constitutional authority to unilaterally dismiss an impeachment complaint,” Villanueva said. Dela Rosa reiterated his motion after senators took their oath as judges in the impeachment trial and convened the body as an impeachment court.His ally, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go made a privilege speech seconding Dela Rosa’s motion, citing technicalities which led him to question the legality of the articles of impeachment.“Ano’ng nangyari sa tatlong naunang impeachment complaints? Bakit hindi ito agad na-refer sa Speaker’s office. Bakit hindi ito naisama sa order of business within 10 session days. At bakit hindi ito nai-refer sa tamang komite within three session days after its inclusion in the order of business as mandated by our Constitution,” Go said.Minority senators Koko Pimentel and Risa Hontiveros both objected to Dela Rosa’s motion, with Pimentel emphasizing that the said motion is unconstitutional, and the Senate has the responsibility to try and decide on the impeachment case, as mandated by the constitution.“Ngayon pagdating sa Konstitusyon, bakit inaangalan ko ‘yung mosyon, the motion actually is unconstitutional in the opinion of this representation because according to Article 11, Section 3 paragraph 6…“the Senate shall have the sole power to try and decide all cases of impeachment”…So tingnan natin mga fellow senator-judges, sole power, so ibig sabihin noong sole power, tayo lang ang may kapangyarihan, ang Senado lang ang may kapangyarihan na mag-try and decide, litisin ang isang impeachment case, hatulan at desisyunan,” Pimentel said.“Ngayon kung aayaw tayo kaagad, ni hindi natin na-try, ang try ay litis, malabas ‘yung mga facts para ma-apply natin ‘yung judgement natin sa facts, wala na pong matatakbuhan ang ibang body kaya that’s why a motion that cuts short the whole process is unconstitutional,” he added, highlighting that the Senate cannot disregard the decision of the majority of the House of Representatives in impeaching Vice President Duterte.Hontiveros, for her part, said that if there is a motion to dismiss the case, it should come from the camp of the vice president, and not from a senator-judge.“A motion to dismiss is not found, hindi po ito nahahanap, itong motion to dismiss, sa rules of impeachment na literal kaa-adopt lang natin. At kung meron man, hindi senator-judge ang magraise noon, pero ang defendant. Si Vice President Sara Duterte ang magre-raise niyan. Higit pa po, naniniwala ako na hindi tayo pwedeng kumilos unilaterally sa dismissal ng impeachment complaint nang hindi pa natin naririnig ni isang salita mula sa prosecution,  ni isang salita mula sa defense, tungkol doon sa di umanong constitutional infirmities ng impeachment complaint. Ang due process ay nagre-require na bigyan natin pareho ang prosecution at ang defense ng oportunidad na madinig sa bagay na ito,” she said.<div><iframe width="727" height="409" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xqIBDcMYKA4" title="LIVE: Senate Session No.55 | Senator-judges set to take oath for VP Sara impeachment trial (June 10)" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5 and transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate on the same day.The House alleged that Duterte committed &quot;high crimes,&quot; including the supposed misuse of her confidential funds and an alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte has a pending petition before the Supreme Court challenging the validity and constitutionality of the fourth impeachment complaint that was eventually transmitted by the House of Representatives.Dela Rosa earlier admitted to initiating a resolution seeking the &quot;de facto dismissal&quot; of the impeachment case of Duterte, which triggered backlash from the public, top law schools in the country, civil society groups, and some senators.They said that the senators should follow the 1987 Constitution which mandated them to &quot;forthwith proceed&quot; with an impeachment trial.Individual members of the University of the Philippines College of Law faculty had warned that the Senate dismissing the impeachment case of Duterte &quot;without hearing even a single witness will mean its abandonment of its proud tradition as an august chamber.&quot;They said it could also “permanently alter our system of checks and balances.&quot; &quot;Respectfully, a dismissal at this point would be deemed by the Filipino people as effectively engineered by the Senate&#x27;s own delay and an abdication of its constitutional role in impeachment,&quot; they said.

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Tuesday moved to dismiss the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte as he raised "serious concerns" in the articles of impeachment against her.

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Tuesday moved to dismiss the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte as he raised "serious concerns" in the articles of impeachment against her.

Bato moves to dismiss Sara Duterte impeachment case

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Bato moves to dismiss Sara Duterte impeachment case

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 10, 2025 05:20 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 10, 2025 07:41 PM PHT

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