Manila: The Philippine Senate voted Wednesday to archive articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte. The decision came after a 19-4 vote in favor of a motion to adhere to a Supreme Court ruling last month that declared the impeachment articles unconstitutional and halted the trial.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Supreme Court's decision emphasized the Constitution's one-year rule, which restricts the initiation of impeachment proceedings against an official to once a year. This ruling effectively nullified the impeachment attempts against Duterte. Senator Rodante Marcoleta described the impeachment complaint as 'dead on arrival,' as reported by the Daily Tribune newspaper.

Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto expressed his dissent by voting against the motion and labeled the decision "dead." The impeachment efforts against Duterte have been a topic of contention, with four complaints initially filed against her before the House of Representatives. The first three, submitted by private individuals and groups in December 2024, were regarded as "terminated" or "dismissed" after the House approved a fourth complaint in February of this year. The Supreme Court determined that the fourth complaint was filed within the same one-year period as the "terminated" complaints, thus violating the one-year rule.

Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, faced impeachment on Feb. 5 when more than two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives signed a petition for her removal from office. The allegations against her include the misuse of funds while she was leading the Department of Education.