Philippines: Senate bounces VP Duterte impeachment papers back to the House, what it means

Senate soap: 2 Senators nearly came to blows, real legislative work takes a back seat

Last updated:
Jay Hilotin, Senior Assistant Editor
5 MIN READ
Philippine senators take their oath as jurors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with the newly convened court moving to immediately hear a motion to dismiss the case, in Manila on June 10, 2025.
Philippine senators take their oath as jurors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with the newly convened court moving to immediately hear a motion to dismiss the case, in Manila on June 10, 2025.
AFP

Manila: Buckle up — the Philippine Senate just floored the political telenovela to full blast.

On Tuesday, June 10, senators pulled a surprise twist: instead of diving into the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, they voted to send the complaint back to the House of Representatives. 

Why? 

They say the 7 articles of impeachment submitted by the House might have some “constitutional infirmities” that need sorting.

This situation is unprecedented. And that's when two senators — Robinhood Padilla and Joel Villanueva, nearly came to blows.

What the majority of Senators voted on:

  • A demand for the House (whose term ends on June 13 as the 19th Congress) to certify the impeachment case against VP Sara Duterte does not violate the Constitution.

  • The House of the 20th Congress can communicate that it still wants to pursue the impeachment trial.

The 20th Congress’ term kicks off on June 30, 2025, with a new set of Congressmen and Senators.

Given what's transpired, are Philippine legislators staging an unscripted entertainment show or simply wasting taxpayers’ money?

Volatile moment

One thing's for sure: It marks a highly volatile moment in Philippine politics, even as the nation seeks for ways to move forward economically.

It also reveals the deepening rift between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. 

It marks a deeper divide: There’s the 316-member House of Representatives, under the leadership of Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin, moving to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, who has a shot at the presidency in 2028, and the 24-member Senate.

Here’s a breakdown of the key developments and their implications:

What happened?

Senate halts impeachment trial — for now.

Earlier in the Senate debates, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa came in hot ready to dismiss the whole case outright. But his motion didn’t catch fire with colleagues. 

Instead, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano stepped in with a compromise:

“Let’s just return it.”

So, instead of a dramatic slam of the door, the Senate handed the articles back with a Post-it note saying:

“Dear House, kindly double-check if you broke the Constitution. And let us know if you still want to proceed.”

At this point, the Senate was not acting as an impeachment court, as the 1987 Constitution prescribes.

The 18 senators who voted for the return:

  1. Lito Lapid

  2. Jinggoy Estrada

  3. JV Ejercito

  4. Allan Peter Cayetano

  5. Pia Cayetano

  6. Cynthia Villar

  7. Mark Villar

  8. Imee Marcos

  9. Robinhood Padilla

  10. Bato dela Rosa

  11. Bong Go

  12. Loren Legarda

  13. Ramon “Bong” Revillar Jr

  14. Francis Tolentino

  15. Raffy Tulfo

  16. Miguel Zubiri

  17. Joel Villanueva

  18. Chiz Escudero (Senate President) 

But not everyone’s buying it.

The Senate minority bloc, unimpressed by the decision, said “No” to the remand:

The 5 senators who opposed it, calling for the trial to proceed immediately:

  1. Koko Pimentel

  2. Risa Hontiveros

  3. Sherwin Gatchalian

  4. Nancy Binay

  5. Grace Poe

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros criticised the move, saying the Constitution obligates the Senate to try the case, not return it.

Presider Senator Chiz Escudero, however, insisted that the move is not tantamount to a dismissal of the case. He also added: summons for Duterte have already been issued for a future trial.

7 articles : Why was VP Sara Duterte impeached?

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in February 2025 on serious charges:

The House formally filed against Vice President Sara Duterte on February 5, 2025, on the following grounds:

  1. Contracting an assassin & plotting to murder President Marcos Jr., First Lady, and House Speaker — charged as betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes.

  2. Misuse and malversation of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education — betrayal of public trust and graft & corruption.

  3. Bribery under Republic Act No. 3019 — accused of influencing officials in the education ministry — betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft & corruption.

  4. Amassing unexplained wealth and failing to declare all assets in her SALN — culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, according to the Philippine Star.

  5. High crime of murder & conspiracy — linked to extrajudicial killings during her father's drug war — other high crimes.

  6. Destabilisation, sedition, and insurrection — accused of plotting against the sitting government — betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.

  7. Totality of conduct as Vice President — overarching charge covering the previous six allegations: betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and graft & corruption.

Political context

The impeachment has exacerbated tensions between the Marcos and Duterte camps. Sara Duterte is a likely contender for the 2028 presidential race, when Marcos’ term ends.

Her supporters say the impeachment is a political manoeuvre to derail her presidential ambitions.

More drama: The Duterte legacy

Legal heads weigh in

Constitutional law professors were quick to chime in: Prof. Paolo Tamase (UP College of Law, Chair of the Philippine Law Journal): “The Senate isn’t supposed to supervise the House. They’re equals. This move breaks the constitutional vibe — and opens the door to an endless ping-pong match between chambers.”

Prof. Dante Gatmaytan: “This isn’t even the Senate’s call. Only the Supreme Court can judge if the House violated the Constitution.”

What's next?

With the ball now bounced back to the House, here’s what the people are left with:

  • The impeachment trial is on pause, or on hold.

  • The House is expected to address the Senate’s legal concerns.

  • If the House resubmits or clarifies the complaint, the Senate may proceed with the trial.

  • The standoff reflects growing instability between key power blocs in the Philippines.

  • A new batch of Senators and Congressmen (20th) will be installed on June 30, 2025 following the May 12 elections.

  • The public is left wondering if this is justice delayed or just politics at play.

Tense moment

A tense moment erupted between Senators Robin Padilla and Joel Villanueva in the Senate plenary: During Tuesday’s debate, Senator Villanueva objected to the motion to dismiss, arguing the Senate wasn’t yet convened as an impeachment court.

Tempers flared when Senator Padilla, a staunch Duterte ally, defended the dismissal motion vigorously. He then stormed across the chamber and confronted Villanueva during a suspension of the session.

The confrontation got heated and physical: Padilla and Villanueva nearly came to blows before fellow senators rushed in to pull them apart.

After the storm

The drama didn’t end with thrown punches — Padilla later extended an olive branch, shaking hands and even giving Villanueva a hug, amid a group effort to calm things down.

He also offered an apology for letting emotions run high and crossing the line.

Why it matters

This near-fisticuff highlights just how emotionally charged the impeachment debate has become. Deep divisions have emerged, and it can get personal.

It shows politics in the Philippines is never dull.

Meanwhile, the real stuff — like patching up busted bridges, fixing pothole-packed roads, getting power to the provinces, and taming sky-high electric bills — is stuck in Manila's notorious traffic... way in the backseat, waving for attention.

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