10/06/2025
NEWS | Senate returns impeachment complaint against VP Duterte to HOR
The Senate voted to return the impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives (HOR), citing the need to address issues of the complaint in the impeachment trial on June 10.
The decision requires the House to certify its non-violation of the Constitution and to confirm if the 20th Congress still wants to pursue impeachment.
The vote came from Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s motion to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte due to "serious concerns", from which Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano suggested remanding the complaint instead.
Eighteen senators voted in favor of the motion to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House, while five voted against it.
Among those who opposed the motion were Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Sen. Nancy Binay, and Sen. Grace Poe.
"It’s an effective termination of impeachment. Remand is functional dismissal,” Hontiveros said in a statement from Rappler.
Senate President Francis Escudero clarified that the move was not a dismissal; however, various critics have argued the dangers of delaying the trial.
Meanwhile, the impeachment court has issued a summons for Vice President Duterte to file her answer within 10 days and for the HOR to file its response in five days.
Last February, Duterte was impeached by the HOR for "violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes."