Ched Rick Gatchalian

Senate President Vicente Sotto III during the plenary session on May 6, 2020. Henzberg Austria, Senate PRIB

 

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'Nabulabog yung konstitusyon': Sotto ready to support cha-cha to clarify impeachment rules, says SC decision ‘very disappointing’

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176975511013620200506-sotto-tito-senate-ho-01000001.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Senate President Vicente Sotto III during the plenary session on May 6, 2020. Henzberg Austria, Senate PRIB"/>Senate President Vicente Sotto III during the plenary session on May 6, 2020. Henzberg Austria, Senate PRIB  </div>MANILA (UPDATED) — Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will support moves to amend the 1987 Constitution in light of the Supreme Court&#x27;s decision that the impeachment in 2025 of Vice President Sara Duterte is unconstitutional.Sotto said Thursday that the decision, which imposed rules of procedure in impeachment proceedings, was an overreach into the legislative&#x27;s power to initiate and try these cases.A dismayed Sotto, in an interview on Friday, said the impeachment process can be clarified through charter change or cha-cha. Some economic provisions may also be discussed, he said.“I will not push. I will support,” Sotto said. “I will support a cha-cha at this point. Dati ayokong ayoko yan. Ang gusto ko cha-cha character change eh.”(I used to be really against that, but now I want it)He said he would be willing to support amending the constitution to fix what he said was the Supreme Court revising it through its decision.He said the decision upholding a July 2025 ruling was “very disappointing” and that there was judicial overreach on the part of the SC.“Kung ang Supreme Court puwedeng galawin ang Constitution, aba’y dapat galawin na namin sapagkat kami ang empowered to do so,” Sotto said referring to the power of Congress.(If the Supreme Court can meddle with the Constitution, then we should do it too because we are the ones empowered to do so)Supreme Court justices, members of constitutional commissions, the president, and the vice president may be removed from office through impeachment.He clarified, however, that his position has nothing to do with personalities but on how it affects the charter. He said he has not seen the decision in full.SC Spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting said in a press conference on Thursday that the fourth impeachment complaint transmitted to the Senate on February 5, 2025 was already barred by Article XI, Section 3, subsection 5 of the Constitution, which says that “no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.”The High Court also ruled that an impeachment is deemed initiated when:• A properly verified and endorsed impeachment complaint is referred to the Committee on Justice; • A properly verified and endorsed impeachment complaint is not placed in the Order of Business of the House of Representatives within 10 session days, or referred to the Committee on Justice after it has been put in the Order of Business within three session days as required by Article XI, Section 3, subsection (2) of the Constitution; or • Articles of Impeachment are transmitted to the Senate before the House of Representatives adjourns sine die.This means that the initiation of an impeachment complaint must occur during the term of the current Congress.Sotto pointed out supposed factual errors in the decision such as when the SC said the fourth impeachment complaint is unconstitutional because three others had been filed earlier.Sotto also said that the adjournment sine die was on June 14, 2025 not February 6, 2025, or a day after the impeachment complaint was transmitted to the Senate.Congress had only gone on recess in February 25.“Yun ang pagpapahirap niyan. Kaya kahit sinong magpadala ng kahit anong, basurang impeachment, hindi na magagalaw yung impeachment because of that,” Sotto told reporters.(That is a complication. So anyone can just file a trash impeachment complaint and impeachment can no longer proceed because of it)He stressed that the Constitution allows the option of having a third of the members of the House endorsing a complaint straight to the Senate for trial.“In my opinion, now impeachment in the Philippines is an impossible dream. Baligtad nga eh. Ngayon maaabuso na na walang ma-i-impeach,” he added.(They have reversed it. This can be abused so nobody can be impeached)The Senate president said some conditions laid down in the SC decision also make impeachment more difficult such as ensuring that the endorsements of members of the impeachment are verified, that members need to confirm that the evidence support the grounds of the complaint, and that every member should be given a copy of the complaint as well as the supporting evidence.“Isa lang ang magsabi ng ‘hindi ayokong basahin eh, wala akong panahong bumasa, ay hindi ako pumapasok eh,’ hindi mo lang pinigil yun, dinelay mo. Hindi mo lang dinelay, pinigil mo na talaga ang impeachment,” Sotto said.(So a House member can just refuse to read an impeachment complaint to derail impeachment)<div> </div><div>MEETING WITH THE HOUSE</div><div> </div>Sotto said he will seek a meeting between the Senate and the House of Representatives, possibly on the second week of February, to discuss what they could do following the SC decision.“Ang nakikita ko na outright solution dito, which could not be called outright, eh palitan na natin Constitution, baguhin na natin pagka ganyan,&quot; he said.(An outright solution I can see, which could not even be called outright, is to change the Constitution if that is the case)He said that, otherwise, the country would need to wait for all the sitting justices to retire to get a better ruling.&quot;Wala man lang (There wasn&#x27;t even a) dissenting opinion,” Sotto stated.He said people cannot be blamed for thinking the SC may have an agenda beyond just deciding on the motion for reconsideration.Sotto said it is hard to say if the magistrates are protecting themselves from impeachment, but it is a possibility.<div> </div><div>TWO CHAMBER&#x27;S COOPERATION VITAL FOR REFORM</div><div> </div>House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno welcomed on Friday Sotto&#x27;s openness for constitutional amendments, saying the lower and upper chamber&#x27;s cooperation is vital to push any serious reform effort.“Mabuti naman. Kailangan ng tulong talaga sa Senado,” Puno said, emphasizing House would need Senate&#x27;s help for charter change to happen. “Any discussion on constitutional amendments requires clear support from the Senate,” Puno said. “Progress depends on constructive engagement from both chambers.”In a release, it was recalled that the National Unity Party (NUP), led by Puno, filed House Bill No. 5870 which seeks to convene a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to the 1987 Constitution.<div> </div><div>&#x27;RULING MUST BE RESPECTED&#x27;</div><div> </div>The Supreme Court&#x27;s ruling on the impeachment of the Vice President must be respected and accepted, said Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo &quot;Ping&quot; Lacson. &quot;Agree or disagree, right or wrong, just or unjust, faultless or defective - we must accept and respect the SC ruling on the unconstitutionality of VP Sara Duterte’s impeachment case. They are not called the &#x27;gods of Padre Faura&#x27; for nothing,&quot; Lacson said on Friday. &quot;This is not about politics or who gains or loses. If the SC ruling went the other way, my sentiment would be the same. Simply put, it is about respecting the rule of law,&quot; he continued. According to Lacson, the High Court is the final arbiter and interpreter of the Constitution. The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday upheld that the impeachment against Duterte is unconstitutional, thereby rejecting the motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives. The SC said the fourth impeachment complaint transmitted to the Senate in February 2025 went against the one year bar rule. -- with a report from Ched Rick Gatchalian, ABS-CBN News

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will support moves to amend the 1987 Constitution, in light of the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) declaring with finality that the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is unconstitutional.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will support moves to amend the 1987 Constitution, in light of the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) declaring with finality that the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is unconstitutional.

'Nabulabog yung Konstitusyon': Sotto ready to support cha-cha to clarify impeachment rules

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'Nabulabog yung Konstitusyon': Sotto ready to support cha-cha to clarify impeachment rules

Victoria Tulad,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 30, 2026 04:04 PM PHT

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Updated January 30, 2026 06:32 PM PHT

Read More:

Tito Sotto

Impeachment

Supreme Court

Sara Duterte

Cha-cha

Constitutional change

Charter change

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