Pangilinan Says SC Ruling on VP Duterte Impeachment Risks Eroding Checks and Balances
August 10, 2025
Pangilinan Says SC Ruling on VP Duterte Impeachment Risks Eroding Checks and Balances
High Court Based Decision on "Incorrect" Facts, MR Is Chance to Restore Fairness
MANILA — Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan says that the Supreme Court's unprecedented move to strike down the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte—based, he says, on "incorrect" facts—could weaken the country's system of checks and balances if left unchallenged.
In an interview on OneNews' Big Story Thursday, August 7, Pangilinan said the Motion for Reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives is not just a legal remedy, but a constitutional moment for the high court to correct its course.
"If the facts are wrong, then your ruling is wrong," Pangilinan stressed. "It's like saying you killed someone when you didn't — and the court did not appreciate the facts. That's unjust and unfair. And that's what happened here."
The veteran lawmaker and lawyer took particular aim at the SC's application of the one-year bar rule, arguing that the first three impeachment complaints against Duterte were never "initiated" before the fourth was transmitted to the Senate.
"There was no first, second, or third initiation because what they acted on and initiated was the fourth complaint. Then they archived the three," Pangilinan said. "The claim that the fourth complaint is barred by the one-year rule because of three earlier 'initiated' complaints is simply incorrect."
Pangilinan, who voted against archiving the Articles of Impeachment during the Senate's August 6 plenary session, said the upper chamber should have held off until the MR was resolved.
"When you do something as unprecedented as this, the least the Supreme Court could have done was check their facts," he said. "That MR is the chance to fix those factual errors, restore fairness, and protect the integrity of our democratic institutions."
Legal analysts have noted that the SC's ruling, if upheld, could redefine the limits of impeachment proceedings and tilt the balance of power between the legislative and judicial branches — a prospect Pangilinan says must be addressed before it becomes a permanent precedent.
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