Sotto backs Charter change after SC ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment ~ HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS

Friday, January 30, 2026

Sotto backs Charter change after SC ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment

Friday, January 30, 2026 Herbert Curia - Promoter No comments

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links https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2175227/sotto-on-charter-change-after-sc-decision-re-impeachment

Sotto backs Charter change after SC ruling on Sara Duterte impeachment

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he will support any effort for Charter change following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the unconstitutionality of the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Speaking to reporters in an online interview on Friday, Sotto said he intends to meet with House of Representatives Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III next next week to discuss the two chambers’ next steps following the ruling that he said changed the rules on impeachment.

“What we can do is meet with the House of Representatives and discuss that issue. Because what I see as the immediate solution, though it can’t really be called immediate, is for us to change the Constitution. If it’s like that, then perhaps a constitutional assembly can act on it, or else we will be waiting for decades,” said Sotto.

Explaining his remark, Sotto said there is a need to wait for the present Supreme Court justices to retire first before there comes a change in thinking in the high court.

“It might really take years, or several retirements, before we can finally move forward and put that back in its proper place in the Constitution. As for me, I’m against a constitutional convention and I’m also against a constitutional assembly, but if we’re dealing with things like this, then I’m willing to agree,” said Sotto.

While Sotto admitted that he has only seen snippets of the Supreme Court’s decision, he said the court’s decision to change certain impeachment rules has made the process extremely difficult, even calling it an impossible dream.

“It used to be easy. That’s because that’s what the drafters of the Constitution really put in, especially the so-called option three — which they called option two — where just one-third of the signatures could immediately forward it. Didn’t it used to be just like a prayer? Once one-third had signed, it was immediately forwarded,” Sotto explained.

The Senate chief particularly noted that the provision was added so that an impeachable officer, if he is not doing his job or causing problems for the country, could be easily removed from office.
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“It shouldn’t take too long. That’s why they put it there. So why are we making it difficult now, like what’s happening, and it’s becoming so hard? That’s why I said, forgive me, but I think impeachment now is an impossible dream,” he added.

He even went so far as to emphasize that the Constitution was violated by the court’s decision to alter the impeachment process.

The Supreme Court earlier ruled the impeachment complaint was barred by the Constitution’s one-year rule, which says that no official can face more than one impeachment proceeding within one year.

The Court held that the earlier three complaints, though archived, still triggered the one-year bar, thereby making the fourth complaint unconstitutional.

Critics, however, argued that the earlier complaints were never properly initiated or acted upon, so they should not be counted, being the first three impeachment complaints were not included in the Order of Business within the required 10 session days.

The House explained that session days only refer to the days of legislative business, but the court ruling said that “session day” meant any calendar day in which the House holds a session.

“Neither the secretary general nor the Speaker of the House is granted by the Constitution any discretion to determine when this period commences. Neither does the House of Representatives have any discretion except to refer the matters to the proper committee within three session days,” the court said.

Apart from these, Sotto said the Court likewise created a new rule, saying that it must be ensured that the members’ endorsements are verified.

The Senate chief said it can’t just provide a signature, but every member of the House also has to confirm that the evidence actually supports the grounds for the complaint.

“And now, every member should be given a copy of the complaint, as well as the evidence supporting it — all of them must be given a copy. Some of this is already in the House rules, but giving everything is a different matter. And what if someone doesn’t want to read it? It’s very easy to block an impeachment now,” said Sotto.

Sotto said if he gets the chance on Monday, he would go through the points the Court made difficult in terms of impeachment.

Asked what could be the intent or agenda for such changes in rules, Sotto said it’s hard to speculate, but one goal could be that the justices are also protecting themselves from getting impeached.

“I’ve heard that from other people, something like that. It became difficult. The impeachment became difficult only because there was a question or petition before the Supreme Court about the constitutionality of the impeachment of the Vice President. That’s when it was immediately said, but the reasons they used were not valid,” said Sotto. /das