VP Sara Duterte Files Petition To Stop Impeachment, House Leaders React

House leaders react to the petition filed by VP Sara Duterte.

VP SARA DUTERTE filed a petition to stop the impeachment moves against her and the House leaders have these reactions.

For the first time in Philippine history, a vice president was impeached by the House of Representatives. VP Sara Duterte faces four impeachment complaints and the fourth impeachment complaint came from the House representatives where over 200 signed.

The six major allegations regarding the complaint are misusing public funds while being the vice president and education department head; unexplained wealth; death threats to the president; bribery and corruption; involvement in extrajudicial killings; and destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder.

Recently, the vice president filed a petition to challenge the 4th impeachment complaint in terms of its validity and constitutionality. Duterte filed a Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition and former President Rodrigo Duterte signed as one of her lawyers.

The petition was filed with the high court on Tuesday, February 18.

This has reached the House leaders and they slammed the attempt to “evade accountability”. House Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga said that the move is “nothing more than a desperate attempt to evade accountability”.

House Deputy Speaker David “Jay-Jay” Suarez of Quezon stated that the vice president must face the allegations which included alleged misuse of confidential funds instead of running to courts to seek protection. This move accordingly just raised more questions as to what she was trying to hide.

1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro are, meanwhile, confident. Gutierrez stressed that “procedural requirements have been complied with” and Luistro expressed that there’s no basis to issue a restraining order on the trial.

“We’re looking forward that this time, a-appear po ang Vice President at ilalatag niya ang kanyang defense evidence… I hope that the Vice President will avail of the opportunity to present her side, to present her evidence during the impeachment trial,” Luistro said citing that Duterte evaded the hearings of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability regarding the spending of her offices.

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