Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano 鈥擲creengrab from video
MANILA, Philippines鈥揂fter hours of deliberation, the Senate, sitting as the court, voted 18-5 with no abstentions on Tuesday to return the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives.
The motion, filed by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, specifies that returning the articles does not equate to dismissing or terminating the case.
Voting against the motion were Senators Koko Pimentel, Risa Hontiveros, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe and Sherwin Gatchalian.
The 18 senators who voted in favor were Cayetano, Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa, Bong Revilla, Imee Marcos, JV Ejercito, Bong Go, Loren Legarda, Robinhood Padilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Francis Tolentino, Joel Villanueva, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Cynthia Villar, Mark Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Raffy Tulfo and Chiz Escudero.
The chamber initially convened into an impeachment court to decide on the motion made by Dela Rosa which seeks to dismiss the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.
鈥淚 respectfully move that, in view of its Constitutional infirmities and question on the jurisdiction and authority of the 20th Congress, the verified impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte be dismissed,鈥� said Dela Rosa.
The senator-judges deliberated upon Dela Rosa鈥檚 motion for hours, but later into the discussion, Go introduced the return of the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives.
鈥淎ng gusto nating kalabasan ng paglilitis na ito ay hustisya, hindi pulitika. Mararating lang natin ito kung masasagot ang mga katanungan na hindi nabibigyan ng linaw hanggang ngayon kaya鈥檛 sana naman pag aralan natin ito nang mabuti. Tama na hindi natin ito patagalin, pero hindi rin dapat madaliin,鈥� said Go.
(We want the outcome of this investigation to be justice, not politics. We would only achieve this if we get answers that鈥檚 why we need to study this carefully. We should not let this sit too long, but we should also not expedite it.)
鈥淎t the very least, pag aralan natin itong mabuti. Baka naman maaari natin itong ibalik o i-remand muna natin,鈥� he added.
(At the very least, we need to study it. Maybe we can return or remand it.)
Following Go鈥檚 motion, Cayetano moved to amend Dela Rosa鈥檚 motion. Instead of dismissing the case, he insisted that it would be better to return it to the lower chamber.
鈥淲hy will remanding be in the interest of justice and consistent with our oath of political neutrality? Kasi ang mangyayari nito, hindi pa binabasa 鈥檡ung articles of impeachment bukas, babalik ito sa House of Representatives. Hihingin natin ngayon na ise-certify nila na hindi nila viniolate 鈥檡ung one impeachment per year,鈥� said Cayetano.
Why will remanding be in the interest of justice and consistent with our oath of political neutrality? Because if this happens, the articles of impeachment will be brought back to the House. We will ask them to certify that they did not violate the one impeachment per year.)
Prior to Cayetano鈥檚 motion, Dela Rosa accused the House of Representatives of circumventing the Constitution with its alleged intentional inaction on the first three impeachment complaints lodged against Duterte in December 2024.
鈥淣umber two, by the time they answer sa 20th Congress, prosecutors na ng 20th Congress ang mag-a-affirm na interesado kami, na itutuloy namin ito. And by that time, the 12 senators who have joined the 20th Congress will have the wherewithal and say-so how to proceed,鈥� Cayetano added.
(Number two, by the time they answer in the 20th Congress, prosecutors of the 20th Congress would then affirm that they are interested and we would continue it. And by that time, the 12 senators who have joined the 20th Congress will have the wherewithal and say-so how to proceed.)
Later into the debates, dela Rosa agreed for his colleague to amend his earlier bid.
Cayetano鈥檚 motion seeks that the Articles of Impeachment be returned to the House of Representatives, without dismissing or terminating the case, until such time that:
- The House of Representatives certifies the non-violation of Art. XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that 鈥淣o impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year鈥�; including the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints;
- The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice-President. /cb