While relieved by the Senate’s decision, Vice President Sara Duterte said they remain prepared for possible impeachment proceedings in the coming years.
Speaking to members of the media during the Office of the Vice President’s thanksgiving party in Davao City on Thursday, August 7 — the Duterte family’s political stronghold — the Vice President acknowledged that although the Senate archived the impeachment complaint against her, more attempts could be made during her remaining years in office.
“As I said I wanted a bloodbath. Meaning, I wanted all the pieces of evidence from the prosecution and all the pieces of evidences from the defense presented for everyone but unfortunately, wala na siya sa pagkakaron,” Duterte said.
She added, “And of course as I said kinahanglan pangandaman ang tanan nga posibleng mahitabo so possibly wala ta kahibalo 2026, 2027, 2028 naa’y mga mag file na pud og (we have to prepare for what possibly may happen. It’s possible that in 2026, 2027, 2028, someone might file another impeachment and that will be another opportunity to answer).”
The Senate, in a 19-4-1 vote, decided to archive Duterte’s impeachment trial — effectively killing the case for now. However, it can be revived if a new version of the complaint is filed or if the Supreme Court reverses its earlier ruling declaring the Articles of Impeachment “unconstitutional.”
Duterte also appealed to Filipinos to respect the Senate’s decision, saying, “As I said, we need to respect the decision of the Senate.”