MANILA — Senator Risa Hontiveros opposed the immediate dismissal of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, urging the Senate to wait for the Supreme Court’s final ruling before acting on the matter.

Speaking after Senator Rodante Marcoleta moved to dismiss the complaint, Hontiveros argued that the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the complaint unconstitutional is not yet final and executory, and that the Vice President herself has yet to submit her comment to the Court.

“A tabling of the Motion to Dismiss by the Senate today would not be defiance of a Supreme Court. Wala pa nga pong final na decision. Kahit ang Supreme Court, inaantay pa ang Comment ng VP,” she said.

Hontiveros then formally seconded the motion of Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to table Marcoleta’s motion to dismiss the impeachment case.

She said the Senate must exercise “extraordinary prudence” in dealing with the matter, but also emphasized the need to speak out amid what she described as “clear and unmistakable injustice.”

“I will not be choosing silence, nor will I be turning a blind eye, in the face of clear and unmistakable injustice,” she said, invoking a 2010 critique by UP law professors of the Supreme Court’s handling of a prior case.

Hontiveros also raised three points questioning the basis and implications of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Duterte v. House of Representatives.

First, she said the ruling was founded on factual errors, noting that the decision claimed the February 5 impeachment complaint was transmitted to the Senate without a plenary vote. She countered this by citing House Journal No. 36, which she said contradicts the Court’s assertion.

Second, she argued that actions based on long-standing legal doctrines — such as those in Francisco and Gutierrez — should be considered valid. Quoting retired Justice Adolf Azcuna, she said the ruling is “legally unfair” because the House followed existing jurisprudence at the time.

Third, Hontiveros criticized what she viewed as the Court’s introduction of new procedural requirements not found in the Constitution. Among them was the expectation that all evidence must be attached at the time of filing the complaint.

“Bakit humaba yata ang checklist ng proteksyon para lang sa impeachable officials? Samantalang ang taumbayan na nagtatanong, na naniningil ng pananagutan… sila pa ang pinahirapan?” she asked.

She further argued that due process is afforded through the impeachment trial itself, where both sides can present evidence and defend their positions.

Rebutting an earlier statement by Marcoleta that the impeachment process is designed to be difficult, Hontiveros said the deliberations of the 1986 Constitutional Commission reflected a different view. She cited Commissioner Regalado’s statements to argue that impeachment should not be unnecessarily burdensome.

Despite her criticisms, Hontiveros maintained that her position does not disregard the Supreme Court.

“Patuloy nating nirerespeto ang Korte Suprema. Pero pwede mong respetuhin ang isang institusyon, habang nagtatanong at pinag-uusapan ang kanyang desisyon,” she said.

She closed her manifestation with an appeal to her fellow senators to stand on the side of accountability.

“One day… and this day WILL COME… history will judge all of us based on our actions today, August 6, 2025,” she said. “When history comes to remember… let’s hope we stood where it mattered. That even in the face of doubt, we did what was right and just.”