Palace: Marcos respects SC junking of petitions vs Senate’s lower voting threshold in Sara Duterte mpeachment case

October 1, 2026

By ABOGADO.COM.PH Staff

Palace press officer Claire Castro noted that the High Court junked the petitions due to a lack of legal standing and premature filing, emphasizing that the administration respects the actions of both the Senate and the judiciary.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. respects the Supreme Court’s decision to junk three petitions challenging the Senate impeachment court’s ruling that lowered the voting threshold needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, Malacañang said on Thursday.

“Ang nagsagawa naman po ng desisyon patungkol sa pag-clarify ng salitang ‘all members of the Senate’ ay galing naman po sa Senado. So, kung ano man po ang naging aksiyon ng Senado dito at kung ano ang naging desisyon ng Supreme Court, iyon naman po ay igagalang at irerespeto ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon,” said Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace press officer Claire Castro in a press briefing.

She noted that the High Court’s ruling that the petitioners have no legal standing is a common basis for dismissing a petition.

This is when the person who filed the petition has no sufficient interest in the matter or would not be directly affected by any potential harm.

Castro remarked that the Supreme Court may have junked the petition due to being prematurely filed.

“Ang prematurity ay dahil malamang nakikita rin po ng Supreme Court na hindi pa nakikitaan na maaaring magkaroon ng sinasabing danyos dahil hindi pa po umaabot doon sa sitwasyon na dapat,” she said.

It may be recalled that on September 23, the Senate impeachment court lowered the voting threshold for conviction by interpreting the constitutional requirement of a 2/3 vote of all members of the Senate to refer to senators who are legally and factually capable of taking part in the proceedings.

The High Court later dismissed the petitions challenging this ruling.