On July 25, the Supreme Court unanimously voided the impeachment complaint filed against Duterte in February, citing the constitutional one-year bar on initiating more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a year. The high tribunal said the House of Representatives had transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate while a similar complaint was still pending final disposition, making the process constitutionally defective.
The House had approved the complaint on February 5, alleging misuse of public funds and threats against senior officials—claims Duterte has denied, calling the impeachment politically motivated. The articles were sent to the Senate for trial, but on June 10, senators voted to return the case to the House to clarify constitutional issues before any proceedings could begin.
Because of the one-year bar, no new impeachment complaint can be filed against Duterte until February 2026, according to reports.
Marcos’ comments underscored that the Supreme Court ruling neither cleared Duterte of wrongdoing nor affirmed the allegations against her. The decision, he said, was strictly about whether the process followed by lawmakers complied with constitutional requirements.
Duterte has not publicly responded to Marcos’ latest remarks but has previously rejected all accusations, maintaining that the impeachment was a partisan move against her.
