Sawt Falasteen - Philippine Supreme Court blocks VP Duterte's impeachment trial

The 13-0 ruling came just days before the Senate was to begin its new session, with the vice president's political future hanging in the balance.

Widely expected to run for president in 2028, a Senate trial conviction would have barred Duterte permanently from public office.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in early February, charging her with graft, corruption and an alleged assassination plot against one-time ally and former running mate President Ferdinand Marcos.

Friday's ruling came in response to a Duterte team petition which argued a trio of earlier complaints logged against her in the House -- but voted on only at the committee level -- had constituted impeachment proceedings.

"The Supreme Court has ruled that the House impeachment complaint versus VP Sara Duterte is barred by the one-year rule and that due process or fairness applies during all stages of the impeachment process," court spokeswoman Camille Ting told reporters.

"There is a right way to do the right things at the right time," Ting said, adding a fresh impeachment attempt could be introduced, but not before February 6, 2026.

"This unanimous decision has once again upheld the rule of law and reinforced the constitutional limits against abuse of the impeachment process," the Duterte defence team said in a statement welcoming the ruling.

The Philippine Senate last month briefly convened an impeachment court, only to send the case back to the House of Representatives within hours, questioning its constitutionality.

Duterte allies at the session, notably Senator Ronald dela Rosa, former national police chief and enforcer of her father Rodrigo Duterte's drug war, had also argued that previous House complaints constituted impeachment proceedings.

A conviction was seen as far from certain after a slate of candidates loyal to Duterte outperformed expectations in May's mid-term elections, winning five of the 12 open seats and upping her chances for acquittal.

Duterte swept to power in 2022 in an alliance with Marcos that began crumbling almost immediately.

The feud exploded into open warfare this year with her impeachment and the subsequent arrest and transfer of her father to face charges at the International Criminal Court at the Hague tied to his deadly drug war.

Y.Zaher--SF-PST