Manases Carpio
THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City has dismissed the petition filed by lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, which sought to halt the ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
In a five-page resolution dated May 6, 2026, Presiding Judge Madonna Echiverri of Branch 81 ruled that the court lacks jurisdiction over the matter, emphasizing that the judiciary cannot intervene in the exercise of the House of Representatives’ exclusive power to initiate and conduct impeachment cases.
The court also denied Carpio’s request for a writ of preliminary injunction against House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Reyes-Luistro, and Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza.
“The petition for prohibition is DISMISSED for lack of jurisdiction. The prayer for issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction is DENIED,” the resolution read. Citing Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, the court stressed that the Lower House holds the sole authority to commence impeachment proceedings, including the task of determining the sufficiency of complaints and establishing probable cause before transmitting the case to the Senate. It also affirmed the committee’s power to issue subpoenas — including subpoenas duces tecum ad testificandum — describing this authority as inherent and essential to effectively fulfilling its constitutional mandate.
The court rejected several arguments raised by Carpio, particularly his claim that the House panel had no jurisdiction over him or documents related to him and Duterte.
Judge Echiverri pointed out that courts cannot issue injunctions to stop constitutional bodies from performing their lawful duties, noting that restraining the committee would effectively prevent it from exercising its quasi-judicial and ministerial functions.
The court also refused to take judicial notice of news reports and YouTube videos submitted as evidence, describing such materials as “hearsay evidence, twice removed,” which are inadmissible and have no probative value regardless of whether objections are raised. It further noted that petitions involving issues between co-equal branches of government should properly be filed directly with the Supreme Court.
Carpio’s petition stemmed from the disclosure of his and Duterte’s bank transactions during a committee hearing last April 22, which he claimed violated the Bank Secrecy Law, the Data Privacy Act, and the amended Anti-Money Laundering Act. However, the court’s ruling stands in support of the proceedings currently underway.
Earlier, the House Committee on Justice unanimously found probable cause to proceed with the impeachment case against the Vice President based on two separate complaints filed this year. These complaints accuse Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other offenses, centering on the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, grave threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his family, and the accumulation of unexplained wealth.
