Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Supreme Court decision declaring <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/supreme-court-duterte-impeachment-articles-unconstitutional-1601">unconstitutional </a>the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte is a “judicial amendment of the Constitution,” according to House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan.</p><p>In his privilege speech before the House plenary on Monday, Libanan called out the Supreme Court for issuing impeachment requirements, which he said are “nowhere found in the Constitution.”</p><p>“They amount to a direct intrusion into the House’s exclusive constitutional authority to adopt its own impeachment rules… The right of the House to promulgate its own rules is clearly and plainly stated in our fundamental law. It is not for the Supreme Court to write the rules and for the House to follow,” he said.</p><p>“The judiciary has the vital role of interpreting laws, including the Constitution, but that role does not extend to amending it. The power to interpret does not include the power to rewrite, Mr. Speaker. Yet the decision effectively rewrote our impeachment rules, imposing requirements that are impractical—if not impossible—to fulfill,” Libanan added.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/4/house-appeals-supreme-court-ruling-on-sara-duterte-impeachment-1610">House appeals Supreme Court ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment</a></div><p>The House minority leader noted that the requirements given by the Supreme Court opens the impeachment process to “sabotage”.</p><p>“A single member could invalidate the proceedings simply by claiming they were not furnished or did not understand the documents. Such a scenario could not have been intended by the framers,” Libanan said.</p><p>“This dangerous precedent allows a crony to file a frivolous complaint the moment the bar expires, effectively shielding an impeachable official from real accountability year after year,” he added.</p><p>“The cumulative effect of these pronouncements is to ensure that the impeachment against the Vice President—and future impeachments against any official—will not survive. One must ask: did the Members of the Supreme Court, wittingly or unwittingly, shield themselves from impeachment?” Libanan asked.</p><p>The House of Representatives has a pending <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/4/house-appeals-supreme-court-ruling-on-sara-duterte-impeachment-1610">motion for reconsideration</a> before the Supreme Court.</p><p>Libanan hopes the high court will “rectify its ruling,” and issue a decision “aligned with the facts, the letter and spirit of the Constitution, the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances, established precedent, and, most importantly, the people’s right to demand accountability.&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/5th-motion-for-reconsideration-seeks-to-reverse-nullification-of-sara-duterte-impeachment-complaint-1717">Fifth motion for reconsideration seeks to reverse Supreme Court ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>DEFIANCE?</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, SAGIP Party-list Rep. Paolo Henry Marcoleta, in a manifestation, asked the House of Representatives why it “defied” the President’s pronouncement.</p><p>He was referring to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement in November, confirming that he sent his lawmaker allies a text message to discourage the filing of an impeachment complaint against the Vice President, calling it “not important,” adding, “Why waste time on it?”</p><p>“Why did the HOR defy the President’s pronouncement?” Marcoleta asked.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/9/palace-senate-vote-on-vp-sara-impeachment-not-against-marcos-jr-admin-0945">Palace: Senate vote on VP Sara impeachment not ‘against’ Marcos Jr. admin</a></div><p>He also called on his colleagues at the lower chamber to respect the Supreme Court’s decision.</p><p>“The decisions released by the Supreme Court, form part of our legal system sa ating bansa. Dapat po natin galangin ang ating co-equal branch,” Marcoleta said.</p><p>“Kesa bumabakbak tayo nang bumabakbak ng ating political adversaries, bakit hindi na lang natin galingan? Tutal mayroon naman po tayong tatlong taon pa para ipakita na tayo ay mahusay din sa pamamalakad… Baka sakali, matalo natin si VP Sara sa 2028,” he added.</p><p>Libanan stressed that the House is not defying the Supreme Court, but performing its constitutional duty.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/-tumataya-na-sila-sa-llamado-senate-archive-vote-has-2028-implications-analyst-1236">&#x27;Tumataya na sila sa llamado&#x27;: Senate archive vote has 2028 implications - analyst</a></div><p>“Wala pong defiance ang House of Representatives. May motion for reconsideration po tayo. At kung sakali, I don’t think ang House ay hindi susunod kung final at executory na ang ruling ng Supreme Court,” he said.</p><p>House leaders have previously denied that the impeachment complaint against Duterte is politically motivated, stressing that it is about accountability over alleged misuse of confidential funds. The Vice President has denied misusing confidential funds.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/11/vp-sara-to-explain-in-proper-forum-allegations-vs-confidential-funds-as-senate-archives-case-1835">VP Sara says to ‘explain in proper forum’ allegations on confidential funds as Senate archives case</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PsksuAYWrIw?si=BC6Ddt3uLhiB-i3E" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>The Supreme Court decision declaring unconstitutional the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte is a “judicial amendment of the Constitution,” according to House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan.</p>

The Supreme Court decision declaring unconstitutional the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte is a “judicial amendment of the Constitution,” according to House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan.

Lawmaker tags SC decision on VP Sara impeachment 'judicial amendment of Constitution'

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Lawmaker tags SC decision on VP Sara impeachment 'judicial amendment of Constitution'

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 11, 2025 09:43 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

Sara Duterte

Impeachment

Libanan

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