MANILA,
April 29, 2026 — The Supreme Court (SC) En Banc unanimously dismissed a
petition seeking to compel the Senate to immediately convene as an impeachment
court to try Vice President Sara Duterte, ruling that the petition had become
moot and that the Senate had not acted unlawfully.
In
a 14-0-1 decision penned by Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, the SC threw
out the petition for mandamus filed by private citizen Catalino Aldea
Generillo, Jr. (G.R. No. 278311), which sought to force the Senate to hold an
impeachment trial against the Vice President.
Wrong
Legal Remedy
The
High Court ruled that mandamus — a legal remedy used to compel a government
body to perform a clear legal duty — was not the proper tool to use against the
Senate. As a co-equal constitutional body, the Senate's exercise of its duties
is beyond the SC's power of review through mandamus, except in cases of grave
abuse of discretion.
"The
Senate's actions within its sphere cannot be revised or controlled by the
judicial department through mandamus," the decision read.
In
the interest of equity, however, the SC opted to treat the petition as one for
certiorari and examined whether the Senate had abused its discretion when it
did not immediately convene as an impeachment court during its session break.
Senate
Acted in a Timely Manner
The
Court found no such abuse. Contrary to Generillo's claims, the SC ruled that
the Senate acted on the impeachment complaint in a timely manner.
The
SC also clarified the constitutional requirement that an impeachment trial
"shall forthwith proceed" under Article XI, Section 3(4) of the
Constitution. The word "forthwith," the Court explained, does not
mean immediately or on a fixed date — it means within a reasonable time,
depending on the circumstances, to allow the Senate to make necessary
preparations.
"While
the Constitution does not set an exact date for the trial, the Senate must
avoid undue delay to uphold the principle that public officers must at all
times be accountable to the people," the decision stated.
Case
Rendered Moot
Ultimately,
the SC declared the petition moot, citing its earlier rulings that had already
nullified the Articles of Impeachment against VP Duterte — specifically the
July 25, 2025 Decision and the January 28, 2026 Resolution in Duterte v. House
of Representatives.
With
no Articles of Impeachment left standing, the Court said there was no basis to
order the Senate to convene as an impeachment court.
Associate
Justice Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa took no part in the deliberations. –
The Bangsamoro Reporter Staff
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