Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Sen. Robinhood Padilla attends a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, September 23, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

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ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17887739253911788773922272.jpeg" style="width: 960px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960">Sen. Robinhood Padilla attends a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, September 23, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA &mdash; Sen. Robinhood Padilla, in a privilege speech at the Senate, assailed the Quezon City Regional Trial Court&#39;s issuance of an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte for a grave threats case, arguing that the vice president is immune from suit.While a sitting president may not be sued in any civil or criminal suit, the justice department, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/07/22/19/vp-robredo-not-immune-from-suit-says-justice-secretary">during the Duterte</a> and Marcos administrations, has taken the position that vice presidents do not have that immunity.&quot;May dahilan kung bakit may impeachment. Hindi natin pwedeng lampasan ang prosesong ito dahil lamang mas madali o mas convenient ang ibang paraan,&quot; Padilla said.(There is a reason we have an impeachment process. That process cannot be overtaken just because another way is easier or more convenient.)&quot;&#39;Di ba po ang impeachment ay mekanismong itinakda ng Konstitusyon upang panagutin sa politika ang isang impeachable officer o ang vice president at alisin siya sa tungkulin dahil sa mga impeachable offenses?&quot; he said.(Isn&#39;t impeachment the mechanism set by the Constitution to hold an impeachable officer or the vice president accountable or remove her from position due to an impeachable offense?)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/9/5/vp-duterte-posts-bail-at-qc-court-over-grave-threats-case-1252">VP Duterte posts bail at QC court over grave threats case </a></div>Padilla also cited &quot;Ombudsman v. Court of Appeals&quot;, where he said the Supreme Court ruled that criminal cases cannot be filed against an impeachable official for the same alleged violation that can be a basis for an impeachment case.He also cited Duterte v. House of Representatives, where he said the court said that &quot;impeachable officers enjoy a certain degree of immunity while in office by limiting the grounds for impeachment under Article 11 of the Constitution.&quot;He went on: &quot;The intent is to shield such impeachable officers from malicious or bothersome suits that could disrupt the performance of their constitutional duties.&quot;Padilla said that while the 1987 Constitution does not say the vice president has immunity from suit, it also does not say she does not.The constitution does not explicitly say the president is immune from suit either, but jurisprudence recognizes that immunity.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/16/robin-padilla-often-misunderstood-says-top-aide-1239">Robin Padilla &lsquo;often misunderstood&rsquo;, says top aide</a></div>&quot;Kung ang ganitong prinsipyo ay naaangkop sa pangulo, dapat din itong ilapat sa bise presidente,&quot; Padilla said.(If that principle is appropriate for the president, it should also apply to the vice president.)The senator argued that any criminal case against Vice President Duterte can only move forward at the end of her term. &mdash; RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

Sen. Robinhood Padilla, in a privilege speech at the Senate, assailed the Quezon City Regional Trial Court's issuance of an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte for a grave threats case, arguing that the vice president is immune from suit.

Sen. Robinhood Padilla, in a privilege speech at the Senate, assailed the Quezon City Regional Trial Court's issuance of an arrest warrant for Vice President Sara Duterte for a grave threats case, arguing that the vice president is immune from suit.

In privilege speech, Padilla argues VP Duterte has immunity from suit

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In privilege speech, Padilla argues VP Duterte has immunity from suit

ABS-CBN News

Published September 07, 2026 05:43 PM PHT

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Robinhood Padilla

Sara Duterte

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