A false claim alleging that the Supreme Court ordered the expulsion of Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. from the House of Representatives has been debunked by fact-checkers. Abante remains a member and recently endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. No evidence exists of such a decision from the high court.
A social media post from February 16, 2026, which garnered over 25,000 reactions, 6,900 comments, and 1,300 shares, spread misinformation about Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. The post featured photos of Filipino-Chinese businesswoman Cassandra Ong, Vice President Sara Duterte, Supreme Court Spokesperson Camille Ting, and several Supreme Court justices. The text overlay read, “Korte [nagdesisyon] na may biglaang hatol kay Abante? [Pinatalsik] sa Kamara?” (The Court has decided, issued a sudden verdict for Abante? Expelled from the House?). The caption claimed the decision was so swift it disrupted inner workings, raising suspicions and pressure on those responsible.
Rappler's fact-check confirms Abante has not been expelled from Congress. He remains listed as a House member on the chamber's website. In fact, on February 18, 2026, Abante, along with Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega, endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte. Article VI, Section 16 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution grants the House exclusive power to punish, suspend, or expel members with a two-thirds vote. While the Supreme Court can review expulsions for constitutionality, no such ruling exists against Abante, as noted in a similar Vera Files fact-check from February 2, 2026.
Abante is a known critic of the Dutertes. In November 2024, he sharply criticized former President Rodrigo Duterte during a House quad-committee hearing, holding him accountable for extrajudicial killings in the drug war. In September 2024, Abante called out Vice President Duterte for skipping House hearings on her office's budget.
In the 2025 midterm elections, Abante initially lost to rival Luis “Joey” Chua Uy, but the Commission on Elections 2nd Division annulled Uy's proclamation over citizenship issues. Abante was officially proclaimed the duly elected representative of Manila's 6th District on July 8, 2025.
This echoes previous debunked claims about expulsions of other officials, as covered by Rappler and Vera Files.
