Sara Duterte impeachment ruling sparks constitutional storm in Philippines
the Philippines ' Congress has been thrown into chaos by a Supreme Court ruling that effectively killed the long-awaited impeachment trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
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The Supreme Court's decision, delivered
late on Friday , quashed the Senate's long-delayed trial on a technicality, ruling that the impeachment violated the constitutional 'one-year rule' against multiple proceedings within a year for the same official.
The fallout has cast a pall over what would otherwise have been a self-congratulatory celebration, in the form of the president's state of the nation address to Congress on Monday.
On Sunday, the presidential palace issued a statement stating that President
Ferdinand Marcos Jnr 's administration 'respects but disagrees with the ruling'. The 15-member court's decision does not exonerate Duterte-Carpio, nor does it bar future impeachment attempts, but – if followed – it effectively postpones any new proceedings until 2026.
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio speaks during a press conference in Manila on February. Photo: AP
Of the 14 justices who concurred, 12 were appointed by the vice-president's father, former leader
Rodrigo Duterte . Justice Marvic Leonen, who delivered the majority opinion, was appointed by the late president Benigno Aquino. Even Marcos' lone appointee joined the majority. Only one justice abstained, citing 'official business'.
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