SENATE President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III traded barbs over remarks linking the Supreme Court’s ruling on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case to possible moves for Charter change.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Escudero questioned why Sotto would express openness to amending the 1987 Constitution, which the Senate chief noted was being pushed by the House of Representatives under Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“Easy lang po… kinampihan na nga po ninyo ang impeachment ng HOR at ni Speaker Martin maski sabi ng SC [na] unconstitutional, ngayon naman po kinakampihan na din niyo ang ChaCha ng HOR at ni Speaker Romualdez!?” Escudero wrote, ending his post with the hashtag #TheSenateIsNotYourPlayground—a phrase he previously used when voting to archive the impeachment articles against Duterte.
Sotto clarified that he would only consider supporting Charter change if the Supreme Court upholds its ruling dismissing Duterte’s impeachment despite pending motions for reconsideration.
“What I said was, if the SC ruling stands as is and the Constitution is amended by merely [an] SC decision, then I will consider supporting a Constituent Assembly or a Constitutional Convention to rewrite Article XI of the Constitution because the requirements written in the SC decision are impossible to meet,” Sotto told reporters.
“I am not siding with anyone, unlike them. I am siding with the Constitution,” he added.
The 1987 Constitution’s Article XI Section 3(4) states that if at least one-third of all House members file a verified impeachment complaint or resolution, it shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall proceed.
However, the Supreme Court ruled that Duterte’s impeachment was barred by the one-year rule under Article XI Section 3(5) and violated her right to due process.
While the ruling did not absolve Duterte of the allegations, it barred any new impeachment complaint until February 6, 2026.
The House, through the Office of the Solicitor General, has filed a motion for reconsideration seeking to overturn the ruling, arguing for the legislature’s exclusive impeachment powers.
Multiple motions for reconsideration are now pending before the SC.
Last week, the Senate voted 19-4-1 to archive the impeachment articles against Duterte in line with the SC’s decision.