FACT-CHECK: Supreme Court did not junk Sara Duterte impeachment

CLAIM: The Supreme Court dismissed the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

RATING: FALSE

A Facebook post falsely claimed that the Supreme Court had dismissed the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and that a temporary restraining order (TRO) was issued.

Flagged content: A graphic posted on Facebook on April 22 falsely asserting that the impeachment complaints contained inconsistencies, leading to its dismissal. 

• A part of the caption read, “Mula sa mga kwestyunableng petsa ng mga dokumento hanggang sa mga imposibleng lokasyon ng transaksyon, unti-unti nang nabubunyag ang mga butas sa kwento ng mga nasa likod nito. Alamin ang buong detalye ng mga nabunyag na inconsistency at ang kasalukuyang estado ng laban sa Korte Suprema sa artikulo sa ibaba.” (“From questionable document dates to impossible transaction locations, holes in the story of those behind it are slowly being revealed. Find out the full details of the revealed inconsistencies and the current status of the Supreme Court battle in the article below.”) 
• The upper half of the image included a photo taken on Nov. 25, 2024 by Eloisa Lopez during a probe into the vice president’s alleged fund misuse, while the lower half of the picture is a collage featuring photos of Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, Bicol-Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. superimposed on a picture of the Supreme Court.
• The text in the middle of the picture reads, “TINAPOS LAHAT ANG KONGRESO! TRO IPINAG-UTOS NA!” (“The Congress finished it all! A TRO has been ordered!), followed by a text at the bottom that says, “CASE DISMISSED NA! IMPEACHMENT NI VP[ ]SARA BINASURA SA KORTE!” (“Case dismissed! VP Sara’s impeachment junked by the court!”) 

Our debunk: As of writing, the Supreme Court has not declared the impeachment complaints unconstitutional, nor has it issued a  temporary restraining order to halt the trial. 

• Exclusive powers to initiate and try impeachment cases are vested by the Constitution upon Congress. The Supreme Court can only dismiss impeachment complaints based on breaches in procedure and not evidential inconsistencies.
• On May 12, the House of Representatives voted to impeach the vice president, transmitting the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.

Rewind: The post was uploaded on April 22, the same day the House justice committee had held its first hearing.

• The post also surfaced amid growing pressure surrounding the Duterte family, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirming jurisdiction over former president Rodrigo Duterte’s case for crimes against humanity on the same day and the confirmation of charges on April 23. 
• In 2025, the Supreme Court barred impeachment proceedings against Duterte, saying these violated the one-year bar rule that prohibits the start of an impeachment proceeding against the same official more than once in a one-year period.

Why we fact-checked this: As of writing, the Facebook post has drawn over 1,000 likes, 300 comments, and 100 shares.

• Facebook account The Star Bulletin PH has over 53,000 followers.
• This could distort the public’s understanding of the impeachment process as the Senate convenes as an impeachment court.

Spot the fake: Stay vigilant against suspicious and inflammatory posts.

• Be on alert for posts that attempt to exacerbate the news-cycle disinformation by falsifying breaking news announcements.
• Check with official websites and reputable news outlets to confirm the facts. Khloe Lim

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