The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday, April 29, declared that the Constitution does not specify a fixed timeframe for the Senate to start an impeachment trial.

However, the SC pointed out that 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.

In a full court decision written by Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, the SC said that the Constitution simply provides that the impeachment trial “shall forthwith proceed” and, thus, leaving the timing to the Senate’s discretion.

In contrast, the SC said the Constitution requires the House of Representatives (HOR) to act within a certain number of session days on an impeachment complaint.

It clarified that the term ‘forthwith” in Article XI, Section 3(4) of the Constitution means within a reasonable time, which may be longer or shorter, depending on the circumstances of each case.

The provision, it said, allows the Senate to make the necessary preparations to convene as an impeachment court.

A copy of the decision was not immediately available. The SC’s Office of the Spokesperson issued a summary of the ruling.

The decision dismissed the petition filed in 2025 by Catalino Aldea Generillo Jr. against the Senate.

Last year, Generillo asked the SC to compel the Senate to convene immediately as an impeachment court to try the charges against Vice President Duterte.

He argued that the Constitution does not permit the Senate to delay its duty during recess, stating that it must promptly constitute itself as an impeachment court and try the Vice President.

The SC said that Generillo’s 2025 petition had become moot since the Senate had begun its impeachment preparations.

At the same time, it said that it had nullified the Articles of Impeachment filed against the Vice President in February 2025.

In a decision issued on July 25, 2025, the SC declared unconstitutional the impeachment complaint filed by the HOR before the Senate, as impeachment court, against Vice President Duterte.

The SC declared in its 2025 decision that the impeachment complaint is barred by the one-year rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution and that it violates the right to due process enshrined in the Bill of Rights, and, thus, the Senate could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings.

The SC’s decision was affirmed in a resolution issued on Jan. 28, 2026.

In the case of Generillo’s petition, the SC said that subsequent events removed any issues, making court rulings unnecessary. Since no Articles of Impeachment remained, the SC had no reason to order the Senate to convene as an impeachment court.

The HOR’s Committee on Justice has been conducting proceedings on the new impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

The Vice President was sought to be impeached on the alleged misuse of her confidential funds, alleged non-declaration of her assets, alleged abuse of power, and her alleged threats against President Marcos.