In the Philippines, impeachment is a power granted by the Constitution, allowing Congress to formally charge a high-ranking government official with an impeachable offense, which refers to serious misconduct that may warrant removal from office. Officials subject to impeachment include the president, the vice president, justices of the Supreme Court, members of the constitutional commissions, and the ombudsman. Grounds for impeachment include culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.
Although "impeachment" is commonly used to describe the entire process of removing an official, it formally refers to the indictment stage, the initial phase in which formal charges are brought. The House of Representatives has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases. An official is considered impeached when at least one-third of all House members vote in favor of the articles of impeachment, the formal document detailing the charges. However, because the legislative agenda is controlled by a simple majority, it may be procedurally difficult for a minority bloc of lawmakers to bring such charges to a floor vote.
Following impeachment by the House, the Senate convenes as an impeachment court to try the official and determine guilt. If convicted by a two-thirds majority vote, the official is removed from office and may be permanently disqualified from holding future government positions.
Some civil society organizations emphasize that impeachment proceedings uphold democratic values and serve as a safeguard for accountability and governance.
Scope of impeachment
Impeachable officials An impeachable official is a high-ranking public officer who can only be removed from their position through the impeachment process. Under Article XI, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution, this exclusive list is strictly limited to the following:
The president The vice president Members of the Supreme Court (the chief justice and associate justices) Members of the constitutional commissions (the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Elections, and Commission on Audit) The ombudsman
This list is exclusive and cannot be modified by legislation. Public officers and employees who are not on this list cannot be impeached. Instead, they are subject to removal from office through regular legal and administrative procedures.
The roster of impeachable officials has varied in previous constitutions. Under the 1935 Constitution established during the Commonwealth period, impeachable officials included the president, the vice president, members of the Supreme Court, and the auditor general. Under the 1973 Constitution promulgated during the martial law era, the list was limited to the president, members of the Supreme Court, and members of the constitutional commissions.
Impeachable offenses Under Article XI, Section 2 of the Constitution, an impeachable official may be removed from office on any of the following exclusive grounds:
Because impeachment is fundamentally a political process rather than a strictly legal proceeding, the exact definitions and scope of these offenses are determined or interpreted by the elected members of the Congress, rather than trained judges. While some of these grounds are statutory crimes—offenses formally defined in existing laws, such as the Revised Penal Code and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act—Congress is not strictly bound by their technical legal definitions during an impeachment trial.
In its 2003 ruling in Francisco Jr. v. House of Representatives, the Supreme Court explicitly refused to define "other high crimes" and "betrayal of public trust." The court ruled that defining these terms is a "non-justiciable political question," which it defined as an issue "to be decided by the people in their sovereign capacity, or in regard to which full discretionary authority has been delegated to the Legislature or executive branch of the Government."
With the exception of "betrayal of public trust," the Constitution characterizes all other grounds for impeachment as high crimes, which influences the standard of proof required during a trial. The roster of impeachable offenses has expanded through successive constitutions. The original four grounds—culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, and other high crimes—have been recognized since the 1935 Constitution. Graft and corruption was later added under the 1973 Constitution, while betrayal of public trust was introduced in the current 1987 Constitution.
Impeachment procedure
The procedure for impeachment in the Philippines is governed by a combination of constitutional mandates, parliamentary rules, and jurisprudential interpretations. The Constitution establishes the fundamental framework: the House of Representatives holds the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases—requiring a minimum one-third vote to formally adopt and transmit articles of impeachment—while the Senate holds the sole authority to try and decide them. Beyond this overarching House-to-Senate pipeline, the Constitution grants both chambers the autonomy to promulgate their own specific rules of procedure. The precise mechanics of the process are dictated by the rules adopted by the respective chambers—currently, , the House rules of the 19th Congress (as adopted by the 20th Congress) and the Senate rules of procedure as of March 2026. Furthermore, the application of these rules is strictly guided by Supreme Court rulings, which have established binding legal interpretations for previously ambiguous constitutional terms, such as the exact moment of "initiation" for a complaint and the legal counting of "session days."
Filing of verified complaint The power to initiate cases of impeachment belongs exclusively to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress. This initial phase begins with the filing of a case, formally called a "verified complaint," which must be sworn under oath and based on either personal knowledge or authentic records. A verified complaint can be introduced in one of three ways:
By any member of the House By any citizen, provided their complaint is endorsed by any member of the House Through a resolution of impeachment filed directly by at least one-third of all members of the House
If the complaint is introduced through the third mode, it is automatically constituted as the articles of impeachment and is immediately transmitted to the Senate. Otherwise, the complaint must go through scrutiny by the House Committee on Justice first.
House justice committee deliberations After the verified complaint is initially filed with the Office of the Secretary-General, it is transmitted it to the speaker of the House. Upon receipt, the speaker must include the complaint in the chamber's order of business within ten session days. Within three session days thereafter, the complaint must be formally referred to the House Committee on Justice.
Sufficiency in form, substance, and grounds In cases where multiple complaints are filed against the same official, the committee first convenes to consolidate them. Through a series of separate proceedings, the committee evaluates the complaint to determine: Whether it is sufficient in form; Whether it is sufficient in substance; and Whether there are sufficient grounds
A complaint is deemed sufficient in form if it is properly signed by the complainant, verified under oath (affirming that the allegations are based on personal knowledge or authentic records), and formally endorsed by a member of the House of Representatives through a resolution. If the committee finds it insufficient in form, the complaint is returned to the secretary-general within three session days alongside a written explanation, effectively dismissing the complaint.
Only if the complaint passes the test of form does the committee assess its sufficiency in substance. This step determines whether the allegations in the complaint, assuming they are true, actually constitute recognized impeachable offenses that fall under the committee's jurisdiction. If it fails this test, the complaint is dismissed.
Once a complaint is deemed sufficient in both form and substance, the committee issues a notice to the accused official (the respondent), accompanied by a copy of the complaint. The respondent is given ten days to file a formal answer, which may include their legal defenses; filing a motion to dismiss is strictly prohibited at this stage. If the respondent fails to submit an answer within the deadline, this failure is legally treated as a general denial of all accusations. Upon receiving the respondent's answer, the complainants have three days to file a reply. The respondent then has three days from the receipt of the reply to submit a rejoinder. Throughout this pleading period, both parties submit their affidavits, counter-affidavits, and all supporting documentary evidence.
Unlike the assessment of sufficiency in substance—which relies exclusively on the allegations within the complaint—the determination of "sufficiency of grounds" evaluates the totality of the pleadings, taking into account the complaint, the answer, the reply, and the rejoinder. If the committee determines that sufficient grounds exist, it proceeds to conduct formal hearings where evidence is presented and witnesses are examined. Conversely, if the grounds are deemed insufficient, the case is dismissed.
Hearing proper During the formal impeachment hearing, often referred to as the hearing proper, the House Committee on Justice examines witnesses and documentary evidence. The committee has the authority to issue compulsory processes—including subpoenas—to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant documents. Additionally, the committee chairperson may limit the time allocated for the direct and cross-examination of witnesses.
The primary purpose of these hearings is to determine whether there is probable cause to impeach the accused official. After all evidence has been presented, the committee may require both parties to submit memoranda summarizing their respective arguments before a final resolution is made. Upon concluding these proceedings, the committee members vote on whether probable cause exists. If a majority of all committee members votes in favor, the committee submits a formal report to the House plenary—the full assembly of all House representatives. This report includes a resolution detailing the specific articles of impeachment. Otherwise, the committee submits a report accompanied by a resolution recommending the dismissal of the complaint.
House plenary vote Once the House Committee on Justice submits its report and corresponding resolution, the entire House of Representatives conducts a plenary vote. This vote occurs regardless of whether the committee's resolution recommends impeachment or the dismissal of the complaint. During this process, the vote is conducted by roll call, with the House secretary-general formally recording the vote of each member.
If the committee's report is favorable, an affirmative vote of at least one-third of all House members is required to adopt the articles of impeachment and transmit them to the Senate. Conversely, if the committee recommended dismissal, the House plenary may still override this recommendation with the same one-third affirmative vote. Should the override succeed, the committee is formally required to draft the articles of impeachment for transmittal to the Senate. In either scenario, if the one-third vote threshold is not met, the impeachment complaint is dismissed.
Senate trial