The House of Representatives has urged the Senate to hold off on deciding the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte until its appeal against the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the complaint is fully resolved.
House spokesperson Princess Abante, in a statement on Saturday, called on the Senate—sitting as the impeachment court—to “exercise prudence” while the Supreme Court’s ruling is not yet final and executory.
“The decision of the Supreme Court is not yet final,” Abante said. “The House of Representatives, as the body vested by the Constitution with the exclusive power and authority to initiate an impeachment, will file a Motion for Reconsideration soon.”
She stressed that this was a matter of “constitutional right and institutional integrity,” urging the Senate to let the judicial process run its course.
Abante warned that “any premature action—such as a Senate vote effectively abandoning the impeachment trial—may be interpreted as a disregard of due process. Worse, it may be construed as a political shortcut that undermines the constitutional role of the House.”
The Senate is set to decide on August 6 whether to follow the high court’s ruling.