The Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines (CMSP) condemned the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the impeachment of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte unconstitutional.
The religious leaders described the ruling as a “blatant betrayal of the people’s trust and a mockery of our democratic institutions.”
“This ruling is more than a legal maneuver,” the CMSP said in a statement issued July 25. “In a time when the public is crying out for truth and accountability, the Supreme Court chose silence over scrutiny, technicalities over transparency, and impunity over integrity. It has failed in its solemn duty to be the last bastion of justice.”
The religious leaders said the decision “reek[s] of complicity and cowardice,” warning that it reinforces the perception that the law “protects only those with influence, pedigree, and proximity to power.”
CMSP questioned the integrity of the country’s legal system and the fidelity to the Constitution, suggesting that the ruling contradicts the principles taught in schools and upheld in churches. The religious leader warned that the public can clearly recognize when justice is being subverted.
Addressing Vice President Duterte directly, the CMSP challenged her to face public scrutiny: “If your hands are clean, why fear accountability? If your leadership is just, why evade the truth?”
The statement, titled “When Justice is Betrayed, Silence is Complicity,” invoked scriptural calls for justice and warned fellow Church leaders against repeating the silence of institutions during past dictatorships.
“We remember the silence of institutions during past dictatorships and the price our people paid. Never again must the Church be complicit through silence or cowardice,” it read.
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, voided the impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives, citing violations of the one-year bar rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution, and the lack of due process.
“Our fundamental law is clear: the end does not justify the means,” wrote Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen. “There is a right way to do the right thing at the right time. This is what the Rule of Just Law means.”
While the Court ruled that the Senate cannot acquire jurisdiction over the complaint, it clarified that it is “not absolving Vice President Duterte from any of the charges against her.” A new complaint, it added, may only be filed after February 6, 2026.
The CMSP urged communities of faith and conscience to engage in “peaceful, prophetic resistance,” saying, “Organize. Educate. Denounce falsehood. Demand accountability. Do not let power go unchecked. Do not let justice be mocked.”
“To the Supreme Court Justices: you may have rendered your verdict in the halls of the court, but history and heaven will render their own,” the statement said. “To our fellow Church leaders: now is not the time for caution—it is the time for courage.”
