Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference with the media at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on February 7, 2025. Duterte addressed the impeachment case filed against her by Congress, and also assured the public that her office would cooperate with the legal process while continuing to prioritize government programs and services. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

20250207-sara duterte-impeachment-presscon

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176974591636420260130010156_f78b84e7033dcd82db43646ec5abf1eff0e42c5670156419bf75e57505c1e326_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference with the media at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on February 7, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday thanked her lawyers and supporters following a Supreme Court ruling against what she dubbed as the House of Representatives’ “abuse” of the impeachment process. </p><p>The SC en banc unanimously<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/29/supreme-court-affirms-sara-duterte-impeachment-unconstitutional-1427"> denied with finality</a> the motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives against its earlier ruling that the articles of impeachment against Duterte were unconstitutional. </p><p>“Unang pasalamat ko sa Diyos… Pangalawang pasasalamat ko ay sa mga abogado na nagtulong-tulong para kuwestyunin yung pag-abuso ng proseso ng impeachment ng House of Representatives,” Duterte said in a chance interview in the Hague, the Netherlands on January 29 after her visit to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court detention center.</p><p>“Pangatlo ay yung pasalamat ko sa lahat ng mga kababayan na patuloy na naniniwala at nagtitiwala sa akin,” she added. </p><div><br/></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=315&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F2114964262595667%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>When asked if the patriarch Duterte had been informed about the decision, the Vice President said she chose not to mention it during her latest visit.</p><p>“Kanina, hindi ko na binanggit sa kanya yung denial ng motion for reconsideration doon sa kaso dahil ayaw ko na pag-usapan yung impeachment. Mas mabuti na pag-usapan ang mga bagay na mas may relevance sa buhay natin at sa bayan kaysa doon sa impeachment,” she said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘PREPARING’ FOR FRESH IMPEACH MOVES </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in 2025, charging the vice president with graft, corruption and an alleged assassination plot against one-time ally and former running mate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</p><p>But her defense team filed a petition arguing that a trio of earlier complaints logged against her in the House — but voted on only at the committee level -- had constituted impeachment proceedings.</p><p>The Supreme Court agreed and blocked the Senate impeachment trial of Duterte, saying it violated a constitutional provision against multiple impeachment proceedings within a single year.</p><p>It said a fresh impeachment attempt could be introduced by February 6, 2026.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="827" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SnFn1IiHaq4" title="Full announcement: Supreme Court affirms Sara Duterte impeachment unconstitutional | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><p>Duterte said her lawyers were preparing for the possible fresh impeachment bid against her.</p><p>“’Yung mga lawyers, they’ve been preparing. They were hired as early as fourth quarter of 2023, the moment that one of the members of the House of Representatives announced that they will file a case against me. At na kumpirma ko yun sa loob ng opisina ng Speaker noon,” she said.</p><p>“At hanggang ngayon, tuloy-tuloy pa naman yung mga abogado and legal team. And nung nakaraang taon, bago mag-Christmas break, ay napag-usapan din namin ‘yung paghahanda sa impeachment,” the younger Duterte added.</p><p>Duterte surmised that impeachment complaints would be filed against her until the end of her term in 2028.</p><p>“Hindi lang ngayong taon na ito, dahil sigurado kapag hindi sila nakapag-file ngayong taon, susunod na taon at hanggang matapos ang aking termino, ganoon ang gagawin nila -- makapag-file sila ng kaso impeachment man o hindi,” she said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘HINAY-HINAY LANG SA CELEBRATION’ </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Asked by a supporter for a message to Filipinos who were “elated” with the SC decision, the Vice President said, “Hinay-hinay lang sa celebration.”</p><p>“Don’t drink and drive. Mga kababayan, mag-celebrate kayo pero celebrate responsibly. Huwag ubusin ang pera sa bisyo at huwag magmaneho nang lasing,” she said in apparent jest.</p><p>“At kung maaari ay diyan na lang kayo sa mga bahay ninyo mag-celebrate, or mag-celebrate kayo online. Mas mura yun—internet lang ang kapital ninyo, data lang,” she added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;NOT ABSOLVED&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Malacañang on Friday said it respects the decision of the Supreme Court declaring the articles of impeachment against Duterte as unconstitutional, but underscored that it does not absolve the second-in-command of wrongdoing.</p><p>“Igagalang po ng Pangulo, ng administrasyon kung anuman po ang naging desisyon ng Supreme Court patungkol po diyan,” Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro told Palace reporters.</p><p>“Makikita naman po at mababasa natin kung ano naging desisyon ng Supreme Court. Hindi po ito patungkol sa paglilinis sa isang issue ng nasabing subject matter sa nasabing desisyon,” she said.</p><p>“So, kung may pananagutan, sabi nga po ng Pangulo – kung dapat managot, dapat managot,” she added.</p><p>The one-year period that protects Duterte from other impeachment complaints is set to lapse on February 6, 2026, with several parties already announcing that they will refile ouster cases anew against the second-in-command. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse and Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><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/809hoFCPqT0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/lFs2Jdhlytw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday thanked her lawyers and supporters following a Supreme Court ruling against what she dubbed as the House of Representatives’ “abuse” of the impeachment process. </p>

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday thanked her lawyers and supporters following a Supreme Court ruling against what she dubbed as the House of Representatives’ “abuse” of the impeachment process.

Sara Duterte thankful for Supreme Court ruling vs House ‘abuse’ of impeachment process; lawyers ‘preparing’ for fresh ouster bid

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Sara Duterte thankful for Supreme Court ruling vs House ‘abuse’ of impeachment process; lawyers ‘preparing’ for fresh ouster bid

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 30, 2026 10:02 AM PHT

|

Updated January 30, 2026 04:27 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

impeachment

Supreme Court

House of Representatives

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