The House of Representatives has vowed to comply with the Supreme Court (SC) order to submit additional information regarding Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, which is being assailed at the high tribunal.
NASUGBU, Batangas — The House of Representatives has vowed to comply with the Supreme Court (SC) order to submit additional information regarding Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, which is being assailed at the high tribunal.
In a statement on Friday, House spokesperson Princess Abante confirmed that the House has received a copy of the SC resolution, which consolidates the petitions filed by Duterte and other lawyers seeking to dismiss the impeachment trial against her.
“We confirm that the House has officially received a copy of the Supreme Court’s Resolution dated July 8, 2025, in G.R. No. 278353 and 278359, or the twin petitions filed by Vice-President Sara Zimmerman Duterte and Atty. Isrelito P. Torreon, et al., to challenge the impeachment trial pending before the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court,” Abante said.
“The House of Representatives and Secretary-General Reginald S. Velasco, as respondents in the said petitions, have been required to submit the additional information enumerated in the Resolution, and will comply accordingly,” she added.
According to a copy of the SC resolution as forwarded by the House prosecution team, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco was required to submit the following information, if available, to assist the court in studying the case:
- The status of the first three complaints filed by private citizens
- The exact date(s) on which the complaints filed by the private citizens were endorsed by a member or members of Congress
- As to the complaints filed by private citizens, whether the Secretary General possesses discretion on when to transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives any impeachment complaint properly endorsed by a member or members of Congress
- As to the complaints filed by the private citizens, the basis and authority of the Secretary General to refuse the transmittal of the complaints for impeachment to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for inclusion in the Order of Business within 10 session days from the time it was properly endorsed by a House member
- As to the complaints filed by the private citizens and regardless of the legal position of the respondents, the number of session days that lapsed from the time the complaints were properly endorsed by a member of the House of Representatives to its transmittal to the speaker of the House of Representatives and its inclusion in the Order of Business
- As to the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate, which office or committee prepared the draft of the Articles of Impeachment, and when it was completed
- As to the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate, when it was circulated to the members of the House of Representatives, and whether it was circulated to all the members of the House of Representatives
- As to the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate, when it was circulated to the members of the House of Representatives, whether it was accompanied by the evidence for each Article charged, or if there was a committee report for the information of the members to decide on whether to endorse or not
- As to the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate and as to the evidence supporting each and every Article, whether Vice President Sara Z. Duterte was given the opportunity to be heard on the evidence shared with the members of the House of Representatives
- As to the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate, whether each of the members of the House of Representatives had time to peruse the charges and the evidence before affixing their consent, and
- As to the Articles of Impeachment transmitted to the Senate, when it was included in the Order of Business of the House of Representatives for consideration by the entire plenary
The high court gave 10 calendar days from receipt of the resolution for the House to file its reply.
Abante said the matter has been referred to the Office of the Solicitor General.
“We have already referred the Resolution to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), as our counsel, and shall coordinate closely with the OSG to ensure the submission of the required information within the non-extendible period of ten (10) days provided by the Supreme Court,” Abante noted.
Last February 5, Duterte was impeached after 215 lawmakers filed and signed a fourth complaint, which was based on allegations of confidential fund misuse within her offices, threats to ranking officials, and other possible violations of the Constitution.
The articles of impeachment were immediately forwarded to the Senate on the same day, as the 1987 Constitution requires a trial to start forthwith if at least one-third of all House members — or just 102 out of 306—have signed and endorsed the petition.
READ: House impeaches Sara Duterte, fast-tracking transmittal to Senate
Two petitions seeking to stop the impeachment complaints, meanwhile, were filed before the SC in the same month. Initially, it was announced that Mindanao-based lawyers asked the high tribunal to stop the Senate from proceeding with an impeachment trial since the House supposedly did not observe the Constitution’s rules, which require it to act on filed impeachment complaints within 10 session days.
READ: Petition to stop impeachment trial vs VP Duterte filed at Supreme Court
Velasco then said the issue is already moot, as the three impeachment complaints that were not used have been sent to the archives.
Eventually, it was revealed that Duterte herself, represented by lawyers including her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, also asked the SC to stop the impeachment proceedings.
READ: VP Sara Duterte files petition at SC to stop impeachment moves against her
Duterte’s petition was hinged on a supposed violation of Constitutional provisions stating that only one impeachment complaint will be initiated against a sitting official per year./coa