FACT CHECK: No SC order dismissing ongoing impeachment proceedings vs VP Sara

The Vice President’s impeachment trial is ongoing and has not been dismissed

AT A GLANCE

• The Supreme Court has not dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment case, contrary to a viral claim on social media.
• No official confirmation or credible media reports support the claim.
• The impeachment trial is ongoing, with allegations against Duterte including misuse of funds and threats against President Marcos Jr.

This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors.

Claim: The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the dismissal of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A viral Facebook post by an account called “Oskarkilo Vlog” made the claim on September 28, saying: “Breaking news: Impeachment case ni VP Sara, binasura na ng Supreme Court. Kita kits sa 2028.”

(Breaking news: The Supreme Court dismissed the impeachment case of VP Sara. See you in 2028.)

As of writing, the post has garnered over 90,000 reactions, more than 7,000 comments, and 3,800 shares.

Several other accounts have reposted the same claim. Many users who interacted with the posts believe the claim to be true, with one welcoming the supposed SC decision and commenting that mainstream media won’t report on the alleged news.

The facts: No official government releases, court decision, or credible media reports confirm that the SC dismissed Duterte’s impeachment case. The Vice President’s trial, which began on July 6, is currently ongoing.

The false posts began spreading after two petitions challenging the lowered voting threshold to convict Duterte in the impeachment court were filed before the SC.

In August, the SC dismissed consolidated petitions questioning the House of Representatives’ impeachment proceedings against the Vice President. In dismissing the petitions, the High Court said the issues raised in the petitions had become moot, or no longer needed a resolution, because the articles of impeachment were already transmitted to the Senate.

The 1987 Constitution gives the Senate the exclusive authority to decide on the conviction or acquittal of an impeachable official. The SC cannot intervene with the Senate’s judgement or overturn an impeachment or a conviction. The High Court may intervene only when justiciable issues arise, such as reviewing compliance with the impeachment procedures as stated in the Constitution and reviewing cases involving grave abuse of discretion, such as violations of constitutional limits like the one-year bar rule. 

Petitions vs. voting threshold: On September 23, the Senate impeachment court voted to lower the voting threshold in Duterte’s trial, overturning the 16-vote threshold earlier set by trial presiding officer Senator Chiz Escudero.

The baseline for determining the two-thirds vote needed to convict Duterte now depends on the number of senator-judges who are “legally and factually capable” of participating in the proceedings. Discussions on the voting threshold were prompted by the absence of four senator-judges: Loren Legarda, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Rodante Marcoleta, and Jinggoy Estrada.

The impeachment court’s ruling was challenged before the SC, through petitions filed by lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. and former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez. But even in the case that the SC decides to nullify the Senate court’s new voting threshold, the impeachment trial itself will not be automatically dismissed — contrary to the viral posts’ claim.

Duterte faces allegations of misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery of Department of Education officials, and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family. 

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked similar false claims related to the impeachment process:

• FACT CHECK: No new impeachment complaint vs Marcos sent to Senate
• FACT CHECK: No clash between De Lima, VP Sara at impeachment trial; video is AI-generated
• FACT CHECK: Cayetano didn’t say VP Sara should face impeachment court, quote card is fake

– Jerome Santos/Rappler.com

John Jerome Santos is a research and data volunteer at Rappler. He is a fourth year Bachelor of Science in Accountancy student at the Dr. Gloria Lacson Foundation Colleges of Cabanatuan City.

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