INQToday: Senate votes to archive Sara Duterte impeachment case

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Marcos: US will surely come to aid PH should it face security challenges

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed confidence that the country’s long-time ally, the United States, will defend the Philippines should it encounter security challenges, particularly those involving the South China Sea.

He also conceded that the Philippines may inevitably be dragged into an “all-out war” with China should the Asian superpower proceed to invade Taiwan, which it considers as a breakaway province.

Senate votes to archive Sara Duterte impeachment case

After debating for hours on Wednesday whether to dismiss or defer action on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, given the Supreme Court’s decision declaring it unconstitutional, senators decided in the end to have the complaint “archived.”

Voting 19-4, with one abstention, the Senate moved to archive the articles of impeachment to adhere to the SC ruling, which cited the House of Representatives’ grave abuse of discretion in the use of its impeachment powers.

VP defense team to focus on SC comment after Senate archives case

Following the Senate’s decision to archive the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, her legal team said it will now focus on complying with the Supreme Court’s (SC) order to submit a comment on a motion seeking to overturn its ruling that declared the impeachment complaint against her unconstitutional.

“The defense team acknowledges the Senate’s decision to adhere to the Supreme Court ruling and archive the articles of impeachment,” one of Duterte’s defense counsel who serves as her impeachment spokesperson, Michael Poa, said on Wednesday.