Impeachment now an impossible dream – SottoMANILA, Philippines — The impeachment process can be more prone to abuse because of the stringent requirements imposed by the Supreme Court, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said yesterday. During a Zoom press briefing, Sotto said the Court affirmed its earlier decision which imposed strict guidelines for the House of Representatives in initiating a verified and endorsed impeachment complaint. Forgive me, but impeachment is now an impossible dream,” Sotto said. The strict rule against more than one impeachment complaint also means that any person can file a defective complaint to trigger the one-year bar rule, Sotto said, recalling the sham impeachment complaint filed against then president Gloria Arroyo by lawyer Oliver Lozano. Sotto said he also disagreed with the Supreme Court’s interpretation that a session day is the same as a calendar day in interpreting the 10-session day rule.

Source: Philippine Star January 30, 2026 16:34 UTC