The impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte was temporarily halted after the Senate voted (18-5) to return it to the House of Representatives. The House must first prove that it did not violate the Constitution, particularly the provision that no more than one impeachment can be initiated against the same official within a year.
Instead of dismissing the case outright, the Senate decided to send it back to the House for review of legality. Sen. Ronald dela Rosa was the first to propose dismissal, but Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano amended it to not close the case until the House has a final answer.
Sen. Koko Pimentel, Risa Hontiveros, Sherwin Gatchalian, Grace Poe, and Nancy Binay opposed the vote. According to them, the move creates confusion in the process and seems like a way to prolong the case. Hontiveros insisted that the House could simply pass an explanation instead of sending the entire case back.
Due to the Senate vote, the scheduled presentation of the articles of impeachment will no longer proceed. The case has also been transferred to the Senate rules committee. Only when there is confirmation from the House that it is ready to proceed with the case will it be possible to resume the trial — but this may happen in the next Congress.
As the adjournment of the current Congress approaches on June 14, the future of VP Sara Duterte's impeachment case remains in limbo.
