Marilyn Cahatol

Members of the House of Representatives open the 2nd regular session of the 19th Congress on July 24, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Members of the House of Representatives open the 2nd regular session of the 19th Congress on July 24, 2023.

Article (news)

House prosecution says won’t cause constitutional crisis if SC junks MR vs Duterte impeachment

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The House prosecution panel on Saturday said it would not give up on the archived impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, just as it vowed that it will not cause a constitutional crisis if the Supreme Court rejects the motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives.</p><p>Lawyer Antonio Bucoy, spokesperson of the House prosecution panel, said they would wait for the Supreme Court’s decision following their <a 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>.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/25/supreme-court-duterte-impeachment-articles-unconstitutional-1601"><strong>Supreme Court blocks VP Sara Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial</strong></a></div><p>Bucoy added that the Senate’s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/6/senators-voting-on-marcoleta-motion-to-archive-sara-duterte-impeachment-1906">archiving </a>of Duterte’s impeachment case added layers to their current circumstance.</p><p>He said that had the Senate voted to table the impeachment case, it would be easier to convene and take up the articles of impeachment in case the SC reverses its decision.</p><p>“With the archiving, may layer nanaman, dalawa: Una, kailangan may mag-mosyon sa mga senador to revive or to take it out of archive. The motion is not enough, kailangan pagbotohan. Eh kung bumoto sila na hindi, to reject?” he said.</p><p>(With the archiving, there are more layers: A senator would have to move to revive it or take it of the archive. That will be subject to a vote. What if they vote against it?)</p><p>That, Bucoy said would “bring us now to a constitutional crisis.”</p><p>He reiterated his earlier statement that senators should have waited for the High Court’s decision on their motion for reconsideration before their decision to archive.</p><p>“Mahirap sabihin kung susunod sila o hindi. Pero sa naging botohan at pagkilos ng mga miyembro ng Senado, mukhang mahirap na naman. Kasi two layers eh,” he said.</p><p>(It is hard to say whether they will follow the Supreme Court or not. But if you look at how the senators voted and acted, it seems that would be another struggle)</p><p>Bucoy said they would observe how the Senate reacts should the Supreme Court side with their motion for reconsideration.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/29/escudero-no-need-to-convene-senate-impeachment-court-after-supreme-court-ruling-on-duterte-case-1428"><strong>Escudero says no need to convene Senate impeachment court again after Supreme Court ruling on Duterte case</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;WE WILL FOLLOW FINAL RULING&#x27;</strong></div><p>But if the High Court does not rule in their favor, he said, they would comply with the ruling. </p><p>“The House will not cause the constitutional crisis. The reason, the catalyst for the constitutional crisis will never be caused by the House,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/house-impeachment-prosecutor-hopes-sc-will-be-enlightened-by-motion-for-reconsideration-0028"><strong>House impeachment prosecutor hopes SC will be &#x27;enlightened&#x27; by motion for reconsideration</strong></a></div><p>Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin echoed Bucoy’s statements.</p><p>Garin said it is their obligation to the public to focus on addressing the problems “without bypassing accountability.”</p><p>“A constitutional crisis should not have a place in the Philippines,” said Garin.</p><p>Asked if the Iloilo lawmaker agrees with the refiling of the impeachment case in 2026, she answered in the affirmative but said she cannot speak for her colleagues.</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</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;TULOY ANG BOKSING&#x27;</strong></div><p>Bucoy said the House would not give up on the impeachment case, saying the articles of impeachment are based on facts and pieces of evidence.</p><p>“Hindi kami susuko na porket inarchive na, tapos na ang boksing. Umaasa pa kami na pakikinggan kami ng kataas-taasang hukuman. Mayroon pang chance na dinggin kami,” said Bucoy.</p><p>(We will not give up that, just because it has been archived, the fight is over. We are hopeful the Supreme Court will listen to us. There is still a chance they will listen)</p><p>Earlier this week, the Senate <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/6/senators-voting-on-marcoleta-motion-to-archive-sara-duterte-impeachment-1906">voted to archive </a>Duterte’s impeachment case after the Supreme Court blocked her trial, citing the House of Representatives’ violation of a constitutional bar on multiple impeachment charges against an official within a year.</p><p>The House of Representatives <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/5/house-impeaches-vp-sara-duterte-1551">impeached </a>Duterte in early February on allegations of graft, corruption and an alleged assassination plot against Marcos, her running-mate in the 2022 elections.</p><p>But the Supreme Court said in late July that a trio of earlier complaints logged against Duterte in the House — but that had not been referred to the justice committee — had constituted impeachment proceedings. It said a fresh impeachment complaint could be introduced, but not before February 6, 2026.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/8/makabayan-others-formally-ask-sc-to-reconsider-vp-sara-impeachment-ruling-1504">Makabayan, others formally ask SC to reconsider VP Sara impeachment ruling</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=zPFWAKbZvaB1Bshg" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The House prosecution panel on Saturday said it would not give up on the archived impeachment case versus Vice President Sara Duterte, just as it vowed not to cause any constitutional crisis on the matter should the Supreme Court rule against their favor.</p>

The House prosecution panel on Saturday said it would not give up on the archived impeachment case versus Vice President Sara Duterte, just as it vowed not to cause any constitutional crisis on the matter should the Supreme Court rule against their favor.