Palace Press Officer Claire Castro holds a media briefing in India on Aug. 6, 2025. Castro said Friday (Aug. 8, 2025) that the fate of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte will be determined by the Supreme Court since it is the “final arbiter” of the law. (PNA photo by Darryl John Esguerra)
The political drama surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte has reached its most crucial stage yet — and the final word now lies with the Supreme Court.
Malacañang made it clear Friday that the high court’s upcoming decision on Duterte’s impeachment case will be the ultimate verdict, one that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Executive branch vow to respect, no matter the outcome.
“The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of the law,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters aboard PR001. “Since there’s still a motion for reconsideration, we’ll just have to wait for the SC’s decision — and the President will abide by it.”
The motion seeks to reverse the SC’s unanimous July 25 ruling that declared the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional. The high court held that the Senate had no jurisdiction, pointing to the Constitution’s one-year rule on impeachment and the due process rights protected in the Bill of Rights.
In a swift move this week, the Senate backed Senator Rodante Marcoleta’s motion to “adhere” to the SC’s decision, effectively burying the impeachment complaint — at least for now.
Speaking from India during his state visit, Marcos clarified that the court’s ruling tackled only procedural matters and did not touch on the substance of the complaint, leaving political observers divided on what might come next.
Castro stressed that the Marcos administration has kept its hands off the case from the start. “Let’s be clear — the impeachment didn’t originate from the President or the Executive. It came from the House of Representatives,” she said. “The President will not interfere in the work of Congress.”
As the nation waits for the SC’s final ruling, political tensions continue to simmer, with the decision expected to shape not just Duterte’s political future, but the broader landscape of Philippine politics.
