Jonathan Frederic De Santos

This handout photo from ACt Teachers Party-List shows an indignation rally at UP Diliman in Quezon City on July 25, 2025 in response to the Supreme Court decision that impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are unconstitutional.

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753497974559viber_image_2025-07-25_18-05-16-488.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="This handout photo from ACt Teachers Party-List shows an indignation rally at UP Diliman in Quezon City on July 25, 2025 in response to the Supreme Court decision that impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are unconstitutional."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This handout photo from ACt Teachers Party-List shows an indignation rally at UP Diliman in Quezon City on July 25, 2025 in response to the Supreme Court decision that impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are unconstitutional.</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte is a blow against accountability and disregards public sentiment on the issue, activist groups said Friday, with some saying they will carry the issue beyond the Senate, which is charged with trying these cases.</p><p><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/what-lawmakers-said-on-sc-s-decision-to-block-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-1909">Duterte’s legal team has hailed the decision as a win for due process and for the rule of law</a>, but, according to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, “the ruling makes impeachment even more difficult than it already is. “</p><p>Bayan president Renato Reyes Jr. said in a statement that the ruling is “the latest in series of actions by the defenders of the status quo to derail the impeachment” that include, he said, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s stated indifference to it and procedural delays at the Senate.</p><p>“Now comes the Supreme Court with its interpretation of the law that favors the impeached Vice President and imposes new requirements for holding public officials accountable via impeachment,” Reyes said.</p><p>The Supreme Court said the articles of impeachment violated a ban on initiating more than one impeachment against the same official in the same year.</p><p>“What this shows is how utterly bankrupt the prevailing system is, how justice is so easily denied the poor while those in power avoid legal scrutiny with ease,” Reyes said while declaring that the “fight is not over.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/26/vp-duterte-lawyers-on-wait-and-see-mode-after-sc-rules-impeachment-unconstitutional-0839"><strong>VP Duterte lawyers on ‘wait and see’ mode after SC rules impeachment unconstitutional<br/></strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>AKBAYAN: ONLY 4TH COMPLAINT WAS ACTUALLY INITIATED</strong></div><p>Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/8/wrap-the-impeachment-bids-vs-vp-sara-duterte-so-far-2037">who endorsed the first of four complaints against Duterte</a>, said the ruling disregarded previous SC decisions and would allow corrupt officials to “hide behind the Supreme Court and escape accountability to the people.”</p><p>Cendaña earlier Friday filed a petition to dismiss Duterte’s petition at the SC questioning the impeachment proceedings.</p><p>Citing Francisco v. House of Representatives, Cendaña said that the first three complaints had not been endorsed to the House Committee on Justice, which would have initiated proceedings.</p><p>“Thus, they do not qualify as initiated complaints. Only the fourth complaint qualifies as such,” he said.</p><p>Atty. Michael Poa, spokesperson for the vice president&#x27;s legal team told ABS-CBN News, said that while they have been ready to face allegations, the team still had to raise issues of due process.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s the right to be heard for all of us. And that&#x27;s not just to protect the Vice President. The idea of due process is to protect every single Filipino,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753498060617522649333_1177226471115457_8358911228826585388_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="This handout photo from Sanlakas shows an indignation rally on July 25, 2025 against the Supreme Court decision. Sanlakas said the decision has left the people &quot;with no recourse but direct action.&quot; Sanlakas Facebook page"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">This handout photo from Sanlakas shows an indignation rally on July 25, 2025 against the Supreme Court decision. Sanlakas said the decision has left the people &quot;with no recourse but direct action.&quot; Sanlakas Facebook page</span></span></span></div><div><strong>PLM: COURT DISREGARDED &#x27;PEOPLE&#x27;S WILL&#x27;</strong></div><p>Leody De Guzman of Partido Lakas ng Masa meanwhile said the court had shot down “the people’s will” on impeachment.</p><p>“Walo sa sampu — o 80%, sa mga sarbey — ang nais na magbukas ang paglilitis upang maungkat ang katotohanan,” he said.</p><p>(Eight of every ten — or 80 percent, according to surveys — want the trial to start so the truth can be uncovered)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/29/majority-of-filipinos-want-vp-sara-to-answer-impeach-raps-stop-criticizing-gov-t-sws-1425"><strong>Majority want VP Sara to answer impeach raps, stop criticizing gov&#x27;t: SWS</strong></a></div><p>A recent Social Weather Stations survey put the figure at six of every ten Filipinos.</p><p>De Guzman also insinuated that justices had been swayed by gratitude to former President Rodrigo Duterte who had appointed most of them.</p><p>The court includes appointees of former President Benigno Aquino III and decided unanimously.</p><p>“Ano ang mensahe sa ginawa ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman? Malaya na sa garapalang pandarambong ang buong burukrasya!”</p><p>(What message does this send? That the entire bureaucracy can engage in widespread plunder!)</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubSNzRLbe-w?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>PLM ally Sanlakas said that, with the SC decision, “we are reminded of how the government, with all its branches, continues to fail the people.”</p><p>It stressed that government’s authority emanates from the people, the majority of whom, it also said, are for accountability.</p><p>“If it cannot be done in the courts or at the Senate, we are left with no recourse but direct action,” Sanlakas, which held an indignation rally on Friday, said.</p><p>Kabataan party-list, called the decision an attempt to &quot;douse the youth&#x27;s anger&quot; on Duterte&#x27;s alleged corruption, and announced an indignation rally on Saturday morning.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:432px;height:649px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1948956856829050951&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-07-26T03%3A28%3A05.518163%3A4d6822e2-78d2-4d86-9d1a-4f150b6ddec0%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=2ec33e8392842b65ac9dbac921ba419d0c111474&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="1948956856829050951"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><p>&quot;Kung hindi natin maaaasahan ang gobyernong ito na ipagtanggol ang interes ng mamamayang Pilipino, tayo mismo ang gagawa nito! Kung naduduwag ang administrasyong Marcos Jr. na litisin si Sara Duterte at mas gugustuhin nilang protektahan siya, tayo mismo ang lilitis kay Sara sa kalsada!&quot;</p><p>(If the government cannot be depended on to defend the Filipino people&#x27;s interest, we will do it ourselves! If the Marcos Jr. administration is too afraid to try Sara Duterte and would rather protect her, we shall try her ourselves on the streets!)</p>

<p>The Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte is a blow against accountability and disregards public sentiment on the issue, activist groups said Friday.</p>

The Supreme Court’s decision to invalidate impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte is a blow against accountability and disregards public sentiment on the issue, activist groups said Friday.

SC ruling on VP Sara impeachment lets officials skirt accountability — activist groups

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SC ruling on VP Sara impeachment lets officials skirt accountability — activist groups

Jonathan de Santos,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 26, 2025 11:11 AM PHT

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Updated July 31, 2025 06:20 PM PHT

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Duterte impeachment

Sara Duterte

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan

Akbayan

Partido Lakas ng Masa

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