EXPECT the House impeachment rules to be revised accordingly.
Thus stated Manila Congressman Joel Chua (3rd district) in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling which upheld its earlier decision to rule as ‘unconstitutional’ the impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Chua said that as a member of the House prosecution team and House Committee on Justice, he is planning to confer with his colleagues on how best to revise the rules on impeachment as we deem fit and in ways that comply with the Supreme Court (SC) decision.
“We will receive inputs from the complainants, some of whom are now members of the House,” Chua said.
Chua also cited the possibility that the prosecution team’s composition will have some changes.
“While i do not agree with the Supreme Court decision, we will abide by it because as a lawyer, I am an officer of the court and swore to respect and uphold our system anchored on the rule of law,” the lawmaker said.
He added: “This statement reflects my personal view as a member of the House and is not the collective position of the entire House of Representatives or the panel of prosecutors.”
Chua’s statements came after the Supreme Court ruling upheld with finality its 2025 ruling which found as ‘unconstitutional’ the impeachment complaint against VP Sara.
It will be recalled that the Supreme Court En Banc on July 25, 2025, declared the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President unconstitutional, noting that it is barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and that it violates the right to due process enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
In the said ruling, the SC said that the Senate could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings. However, the Court said it is not absolving the Vice President from any of the charges against her, but any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026.
