ACTING Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte said he has believed from the start that the impeachment complaint against his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, is politically motivated.
What baffles him, he added, is why members of the opposition refuse to respect the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision, especially when it comes from the country’s highest court.
Speaking to the media during the Pag-Abli sa Kadayawan at Magsaysay Park on Friday, August 8, Baste said the SC’s ruling reflects an objective interpretation of the law, while politicians, as elected officials, often make subjective calls.
"Para lang sa akin kasi kailangan natin respetuhin yung Supreme Court, cause there are three separate branches of the government, and these three equal branches. So bakit marami pa tayong ping-uusapan (For me, we need to respect the Supreme Court. There are three separate branches of government, and these branches are equal. So why are we still debating this?)," he said.
He said the decision has already been made and should be considered final. While they will let the process run its course in the spirit of democracy, he maintained that the impeachment complaint is nothing more than a “smear campaign” against the Vice President.
Baste also dismissed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s recent statement in India that he had no involvement in the case against Sara.
“You know that I heavily criticized the President, so you know he’s been like that since the start of his term. But I don’t want to even listen to what he is saying because nothing good comes out of his mouth,” Baste said.
Earlier, VP Sara herself called for respect for the Senate’s decision to archive the impeachment articles. She admitted she initially wanted a “bloodbath”—a full presentation of evidence from both sides for the public to see—but acknowledged that this would no longer be possible after the case was shelved.
On August 6, 2025, the Senate archived the impeachment complaint following the SC’s recent decision. The high court had earlier, on July 25, granted a petition to dismiss the fourth impeachment complaint against her. However, on August 4, the House of Representatives filed a motion asking the SC to revisit and reconsider its ruling nullifying the case. RGP