Lawyer of VP Sara Duterte Speaks on House Justice Committee’s Impeachment Hearing
SARA DUTERTE – The camp of the Vice President confirmed that she will not attend the mini-trial of the House Justice panel over her impeachment complaint.
After the first impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Duterte was set aside by the House Committee on Justice and the complainants withdrew the second impeachment rap, two (2) impeachment complaints against the Vice President were left being tackled in the lower chamber.
The House Justice panel set aside the first impeachment complaint for violating the one year rule ban. With regards to the second impeachment rap, the complainants, the Tindig Pilipinas, decided to support the third impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President.
Thus, to avoid procedural delay, they decided to withdraw the impeachment rap. According to the camp of the Vice President, they expected the filing of impeachment complaints and they’re ready to face it.
In the third impeachment complaints against Duterte, the following grounds were raised by the complainants who are composed of members of the religious sector and lawyers:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
The House Committee on Justice found the two (2) impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as sufficient in grounds apart from being sufficient in form and substance. The panel set the dates for the initial hearing.
The House previously warned Vice Pres. Sara Duterte that skipping the March 25 mini-trial of the impeachment complaint against her may allegedly speed up the process. Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa, stressed that the Vice President is not required to attend the House trial.
“[There] is no requirement under the applicable rules for her personal attendance. Any decision in that regard will be made in accordance with her rights and upon the advice of counsel,” Poa said.
Recently, the lawyer of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte confirmed that she will skip the mini-trial set by the House Justice panel over the impeachment complaints filed against her today. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Duterte’s camp questioned the constitutionality of the proceedings.
“We confirm that counsel for the Vice President submitted a letter today to the Committee on Justice stating that the Vice President will not be attending the hearing tomorrow, in light of the constitutional objections raised therein,” the Vice President’s lawyer said.
Previously, a member of the House claimed that there is allegedly enough number now to impeachment Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.