Baste Duterte tells House to respect SC decision on VP Sara’s impeachment
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 9 August) — Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte on Friday said the impeachment complaint against his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, was clearly political, and urged members of the House of Representatives to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court declaring the complaint unconstitutional.
Speaking to reporters after the Kadayawan opening ceremonies at Magsaysay Park Friday night, Baste said lawmakers should not “force the issue” after the high court’s July 25 unanimous decision that the impeachment proceedings violated the Constitution’s “one-year bar” rule prohibiting the filing of more than one impeachment complaint against the same official within a year.
The court ruled that a new complaint may be filed after February 6, 2026.
“Sa simula pa lang talaga (From the start) it’s clearly political. Yong di ko lang maintindihan, kung bakit hindi nila binibigyang respeto talaga ang en banc decision ng (What I couldn’t understand, why would they not respect the en banc decision of the (Supreme Court), and that’s really heavy statement from the judiciary,” Baste said.
“May decision na ang Korte Suprema (The Supreme Court already has a decision), but they want to force the issue, so para sa akin talaga respetuhin natin ang desisyon ng (for me really, we should respect the decision of the (Supreme Court),” he added.
He said the SC decision should be honored because the judiciary has the constitutional mandate to interpret the law and is a co-equal branch of government alongside the executive and legislative branches.
On Thursday, the Senate “archived” the impeachment case, effectively halting the proceedings pending decision on the appeal filed by the House before the SC.
The House impeached the Vice President last February over allegations of abuse of power, misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth and a threat to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Article XI, Section 3(6) of the 1987 Constitution said that once the House of Representatives approves the articles of impeachment, the case is transmitted to the Senate, which has the sole power to try and decide on it.
Lawyers Israelito Torreon, Martin Delgra, and Luna Acosta, who is a city councilor, filed a petition before the SC questioning the constitutionality of the impeachment proceedings.
On July 25, the SC ruled that the House’s process of impeaching the Vice President was barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and that it violated the right to due process.
The SC also ruled that any subsequent impeachment complaint against the vice president may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.
On Monday, August 4, the House, through the Office of the Solicitor General, filed a 70-page motion for reconsideration with the SC to reverse its earlier ruling.
The House argued that it should be allowed to carry out its exclusive constitutional duty to initiate impeachment proceedings, while the Senate should be the one to conduct the trial.
The House emphasized that it is not asking the SC “to be swayed by the politics of the moment, nor to abandon its rightful duty of judicial review,” but only to allow Congress to do its job as defined by the Constitution.
The House further urged the SC to remain neutral and not side with any political faction. Instead, it asked the Court to uphold the Constitution and the democratic process.
Meanwhile, Marcos declared in an interview with reporters in India during his state visit there last Friday that he has no role in Sara’s impeachment.
“The President has no role. I’m an impeachable officer. I cannot involve myself in any of this. So, it’s really the Supreme Court, the Senate and the House,” he said.
He added the SC only decided on the ”faulty” procedures of impeachment complaints, and not really the substance of it.
Asked if he would believe Marcos, Baste said he does not believe words coming from the President.
“I don’t really think it matters what he says because nothing that comes out of his mouth is worth listening to,” he said. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
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