The Senate voted 18-5 to return the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives for further action.
Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano filed the motion, amending the earlier motion from Senator-judge Bato dela Rosa.
Senators who supported the motion included Chiz Escudero, Francis Tolentino, Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Alan Peter Cayetano, Mark Villar, Joel Villanueva, JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, Imee Marcos, Robin Padilla, Bong Revilla, Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa, and Raffy Tulfo.
Senators who opposed the move were Koko Pimentel, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, and Sherwin Gatchalian.
The motion clarified that sending the impeachment complaint back to the House does not dismiss or terminate the case. The Senate only requested certification from the House to ensure the process complies with Article XI of the Philippine Constitution, which limits the filing of only one impeachment case against the same official within a year.
Separately, the Senate Impeachment Court issued a writ of summons to Vice President Duterte, granting her ten days to respond to the case.
The Senate’s decision marks a significant procedural step in the ongoing impeachment process against the Vice President.
