Duterte's Daughter Regrets That a 'Bloodbath' Will Not Occur but Prepared for Future Criticisms
In a surprising turn of events, Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment proceedings have been put on hold, following a Supreme Court decision that declared the impeachment complaint unconstitutional. This development comes after a series of legal and procedural hurdles that the trial had to navigate.
Vice President Duterte had previously expressed her anticipation for a "bloodbath," referring to the intense and fierce political conflict she expected during the trial where she would have defended herself against the allegations. However, this anticipated "bloodbath" will not occur for now, as the impeachment proceedings are currently "dead" for the time being.
The archiving of the impeachment articles against Vice President Duterte is in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision, which declared the Senate lacked jurisdiction over the case and barred any trial at this time. The Senate's vote (19-4-1) to archive the articles effectively paused the trial without permanently closing or advancing it, pending potential Supreme Court reconsideration initiated by House leaders.
The allegations of misuse of millions of confidential funds against Vice President Duterte are currently being addressed in the Commission on Audit, according to her defense team spokesperson. Michael Poa, spokesperson for Duterte's defense team, stated that the Commission on Audit is the proper forum to respond to these allegations.
Vice President Duterte had expressed a desire for all the evidence from the prosecution and all the evidence from the defense to be presented for all to see. Unfortunately, this will no longer happen now, as the impeachment trial has been put on hold.
This development marks Vice President Sara Duterte as the first vice president in the Philippines to be impeached but without a final Senate verdict. The background involves impeachment complaints filed in December 2024, which passed the House of Representatives by February 2025, leading to a Senate trial that began amidst procedural delays and disputes. Duterte's defense argued the impeachment violated the constitutional one-year bar and submitted formal responses urging dismissal.
The Supreme Court ruling emphasized this constitutional bar and lack of jurisdiction, nullifying the trial efforts and marking Duterte as the first vice president in the Philippines to be impeached but without a final Senate verdict. Duterte remains in office amid this unresolved status.
As the Senate continues to archive the case, it remains to be seen if judicial review on procedural grounds will take place, potentially rekindling the impeachment proceedings in the future. Vice President Duterte has stated that this pause provides a new opportunity to respond, suggesting that she may continue to defend herself against the allegations in the future.
[1] Inquirer.net, "Senate votes to archive Sara Duterte's impeachment complaint," August 6, 2025. [2] Rappler.com, "Supreme Court rules Sara Duterte's impeachment complaint unconstitutional," July 25, 2025. [3] CNN Philippines, "Duterte's impeachment complaint declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court," July 25, 2025. [4] GMA News Online, "Senate archives Sara Duterte's impeachment complaint," August 6, 2025.
Following the Supreme Court's decision, the archiving of Vice President Duterte's impeachment articles is a development that falls under the realm of policy-and-legislation and general-news. This pause in the impeachment proceedings, however, may not signal the end of politics surrounding Vice President Duterte, as she has expressed a desire to continue defending herself against the allegations in the future.
