THE INTEGRATED Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has released an official statement recognizing the Supreme Court’s authority to nullify the impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte, while cautioning against calls for defiance of the ruling.
In a statement issued on Aug. 1, 2025, the IBP affirmed that the high court’s decision was not merely about the judicial review of impeachment but about upholding the “enduring architecture of a constitutional order where power is limited, roles are defined, and accountability flows through process.”
The organization, which represents the country’s lawyers, clarified that while it recognizes and respects the House of Representatives’ “exclusive power” to initiate impeachment proceedings, it also acknowledges the Supreme Court’s “solemn duty to interpret the Constitution and resolve legal uncertainties.”
The IBP stressed that impeachment, despite its political nature, “does not place it beyond the reach of judicial review under the Constitution.”
It also noted that the Supreme Court serves as the “final arbiter of constitutional questions,” a role rooted in the system of checks and balances designed to prevent the excesses of any one branch of government.
While the IBP stated that disagreement with the Court’s reasoning is “neither unwelcome nor unexpected” and that dissent is essential to a democracy’s survival, it drew a firm line against outright defiance.
“To incite public repudiation of its authority, or even just to call for its outright defiance, erodes the very foundations of the legal order,” the statement read.
The IBP warned that if every adverse ruling becomes an “invitation to disobey,” the rule of law would cease to be a constraint on power, thereby imperiling the integrity of democratic institutions.
The organization’s statement concluded by reiterating its commitment to defending legal processes, which, it said, ultimately defends the sovereignty of the people.
