Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Refiling the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte in February next year is possible, if the Supreme Court rejects the lower chamber’s appeal to reverse its decision nullifying the articles of impeachment against her, House Committee on Public Accounts Chairperson Rep. Terry Ridon said.Ridon said he might be inclined to support such move.“In every platform, in every proceeding kung saan natin pwedeng i-exact ‘yung accountability and truth on confidential funds and the death threats against high officials, we will go to that game, hindi ho ba? So ibig sabihin, kung matalo at the MR level, the next step would be obviously ‘yung Feb. 2026 na po na refiling ng impeachment case against the vice president,” Ridon said.“’Pag ka naman sure ka na on evidence, sure ka on the justness of it, it shouldn&#x27;t stop you from actually refiling it… So I&#x27;m quite sure that House members who are interested in exacting accountability will still refile it,” he added.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/25/no-more-bloodbath-vp-sara-says-she-obeyed-lawyers-in-seeking-impeachment-dismissal-1625">No more bloodbath? VP Sara says she obeyed lawyers in seeking impeachment dismissal</a></div>“If the bloodbath would not come today, then maybe in the future,” Ridon noted. The Supreme Court, in its “immediately executory” but not yet final decision said, it is not absolving Duterte from any of the charges against her, stressing that the reason for declaring the articles of impeachment null and void is the violation of the one-year ban and due process requirements.The high court noted that any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.The House of Representatives filed a motion for reconsideration asserting that its impeachment proceedings were in accordance with the Constitution, adding that the SC decision was based on “factual errors”.If the Supreme Court grants the lower chamber’s motion for reconsideration, Ridon expects the Senate to retrieve the articles from the archive and proceed with the impeachment trial.“’Yung archiving is different from an outright dismissal. Ibig sabihin yung archiving parang tinabi lang… Hindi ‘yan pinatay, itinabi lang. So it&#x27;s a good thing to have kasi ‘pag nag-relent or nag-reconsider po yung Supreme Court, pwede nilang buhayin muli ito pong impeachment proceedings laban kay VP Sara Duterte,” he explained.“Ang batayan kung bakit sila nag archive ay ‘yung kanila pong sinasabi na… mahalagang mahalaga po na galangin natin ‘yun pong mga desisyon ng Korte Suprema at iwasan natin ang pagkakaroon ng institutional crisis. In the event that Supreme Court reconsiders, that&#x27;s the same logic that we have to apply, ‘di ba?” Ridon added.He, meanwhile, slammed allegations by some senators that the impeachment complaint against Duterte was politically motivated. Ridon said the House’s move is in pursuit of accountability.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/7/house-lawmakers-blast-senate-s-decision-to-archive-sara-duterte-impeachment-1854">House lawmakers blast Senate’s decision to archive Sara Duterte impeachment</a></div> “Ang impeachment proceedings ay hindi po tungkol sa mga personalidad. Hindi po ito tungkol sa ambisyon ng ilan, kundi ito ay usapin ng katotohanan. Ito po ay usapin ng accountability sa usapin po ng paggamit ng confidential funds. Usapin po ito ng accountability sa usapin po ng pagbabanta laban sa Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sa First Lady at sa ating House Speaker,” he explained. “Ibig sabihin, hindi lang po ito usapin kung pro-Duterte ka or anti-Duterte ka. Ibig sabihin, hindi lang po ito usapin na kung mag palit ho ng mukha, magpalit po ng akusado sa impeachment proceedings ay magbabago ang magiging paninindigan ng House of Representatives,” Ridon added.“Kung mayroon pong paglabag sa usapin ng paggamit ng pondo ng bayan… Kung meron pong Mary Grace Piatos na pumipirma sa confidential funds acknowledgement receipts, magpapatuloy ang impeachment proceedings katulad nito. Si Vice President Sara Duterte man po ito o hindi,” he stressed.Ridon, meanwhile, said no senator, not even the President’s sister, can interfere in the House’s internal affairs, including choosing its leader.He issued the statement after Senator Imee Marcos called on the lower chamber to change its House Speaker.“Sa dulo’t dulo ho ang magpapasya kung sino man ‘yung magpapalit sa liderato po ng HOR ay ang mga miyembro po ng Kongreso mismo. Hindi po mga Senador… hindi kapatid ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas,” he said.“Magkapantay at mag kahiwalay yun pong Senado at Kongreso. Ibig sabihin wala pong pakialam ang Senado sa internal affairs ng House of Representatives… Ito po ‘yung prinsipyo ng inter parliamentary courtesy,” Ridon added. “Malaking pag basag po yung ilan sa mga talumpati dahil meron na pong mga binabanggit na mga masasakit na mga salita at pag papangalan. Ibig sabihin name-calling laban sa liderato ng House,” he noted.

“Ang impeachment proceedings ay hindi po tungkol sa mga personalidad. Hindi po ito tungkol sa ambisyon ng ilan, kundi ito ay usapin ng katotohanan.Usapin po ito ng accountability sa usapin po ng pagbabanta laban sa Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sa First Lady at sa ating House Speaker,” he explained.

“Ang impeachment proceedings ay hindi po tungkol sa mga personalidad. Hindi po ito tungkol sa ambisyon ng ilan, kundi ito ay usapin ng katotohanan.Usapin po ito ng accountability sa usapin po ng pagbabanta laban sa Pangulo ng Pilipinas, sa First Lady at sa ating House Speaker,” he explained.

Refiling of impeachment complaint against Sara Duterte in Feb. 2026 possible, lawmaker says

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Refiling of impeachment complaint against Sara Duterte in Feb. 2026 possible, lawmaker says

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 08, 2025 06:43 PM PHT

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