politics
Fact check finds no court or justice department order halting Duterte impeachment trial
A circulating video misrepresents a January 2026 Supreme Court ruling on an earlier impeachment case. The current Senate trial, which began July 6, continues without interruption.
Jul 16, 1:45 AM·1m read1 source
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A video posted July 9 claims the Department of Justice and Supreme Court ordered an end to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The post has accumulated 2.2 million views. The video shows a news report describing a Supreme Court decision that rejected a House motion for reconsideration and upheld an earlier ruling that articles of impeachment were unconstitutional.
Viewers interpreted the report as applying to the ongoing trial.
Background on prior cases Duterte was first impeached on February 5, 2025.
The Supreme Court ruled in July 2025 that the complaint violated the one-year bar rule and reaffirmed that finding in January 2026. New complaints were filed in February 2026. The House impeached Duterte a second time in May 2026 on allegations including misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats.
Current trial status The Senate trial based on the May 2026 articles began July 6. No Supreme Court decision has addressed or halted these proceedings. The Department of Justice has no authority to stop impeachment cases. Under the 1987 Constitution, impeachment powers rest exclusively with Congress.
The Supreme Court may review only limited questions, such as whether constitutional limits like the one-year bar rule were observed.
