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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ridon backs position that VP Duterte impeachment complaint didn't violate one-year bar rule

Ridon backs position that VP Duterte impeachment complaint didn't violate one-year bar rule

Published Jul 12, 2025 02:45 pm

At A Glance

  • Lawyer-legislator Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon is echoing the House prosecution panel's stand that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara doesn't violate the one-year prohibition rule.
Lawyer-legislator Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
Lawyer-legislator Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)


Lawyer-legislator Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon is echoing the House prosecution panel's stand that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara doesn't violate the one-year prohibition rule.
This, after the Supreme Court (SC) sought information from the House of Representatives--the initiator of the impeachment complaint--about the impeachment proceedings against the second highest official of the country.
"The ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte do not violate the one-year bar rule under Section 3(5), Article XI of the 1987 Constitution," Ridon said in a statement Saturday, July 12.
"In Francisco v. House of Representatives, and affirmed by Gutierrez v. House of Representatives, an impeachment proceeding is initiated or begins, when a verified complaint is (1) filed and (2) referred to the House Committee on Justice for action, or, by the filing of an impeachment complaint by at least one-third of the members of the House of Representatives with the Secretary General of the House of Representatives," he said, citing jurisprudence.
"The reckoning impeachment complaint for the one-year bar rule to take effect is the fourth impeachment complaint signed by 215 congressmen on February 5, 2025, as this is the only impeachment complaint which had complied with the impeachment initiation requirements under Francisco, which is the filing of an impeachment complaint by at least one-third of the members of the House of Representatives with the Secretary General of the House of Representatives," Ridon explained.
Lawyer Antonio Bucoy, prosecution team spokesperson, had made the same assertion late last month when the panel submitted its reply to the Duterte camp's answer before the Senate impeachment court.
Ridon noted that the first three verified impeachment complaints--while filed with the House Secretary General--had never been referred to the House Committee on Justice for action.
"And as such, these complaints cannot be considered as the reckoning impeachment complaints for the one-year bar rule to take effect," he said.
The normal, longer route for the impeachment complaint to reach the Senate impeachment court would have been to go through the deliberations of the justice panel. There, the committee will schedule hearings to determine whether or not it is sufficient in form and in substance.
The fourth impeachment complaint took just one day for it to be duly verified, endorsed by the requisite number of House members, and then submitted to the Senate.
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