No reason to dismiss VP Duterte’s ouster complaint, House spox says
No reason to dismiss VP Duterte’s ouster complaint, House spox says
THERE is no “justifiable” reason to dismiss Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment complaint, a House of Representatives spokesman said on Tuesday, citing constitutional duty.
In a virtual media briefing, House prosecution spokesman Antonio Audie Z. Bucoy said the case warrants a full-blown trial, arguing the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, has no authority to dismiss Ms. Duterte’s ouster charges, as the 1987 Constitution mandates that impeachment trials should be heard.
“There is no justifiable reason to dismiss without a trial,” Antonio Audie Z. Bucoy, spokesman for the House prosecution team, said in a media briefing. “The [Senate’s] mandate is to try and decide, not to dismiss without a trial.”
“We trust that the impeachment court will do the right thing and perform their constitutional duty to try and decide this case,” he added.
Ms. Duterte, who emerged as a contender in the 2028 presidential election, faces accusations of budget misuse, amassing unexplained wealth, and plotting the assassination of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., his wife and the Speaker. She has denied any wrongdoing.
The Vice-President’s lawyers on Monday filed her response to the impeachment complaint submitted by the House in February.
She pleaded for the charges against her to be dropped, citing that lawmakers violated the Constitution’s prohibition against multiple impeachment proceedings.
Ms. Duterte also described the complaint as a “piece of scrap paper,” alleging the charges lacked factual basis.
Mr. Bucoy said Ms. Duterte’s response to the complaint failed to present substantive arguments, focusing instead on challenging procedural aspects rather than addressing the allegations directly.
“This is what’s called ‘wagging the dog,’ where procedure is made to appear more important than constitutional law, principles, and substance,” he said in Filipino.
“Those who cannot address the substance, they rely on technical procedures, which is what she did here.”
The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately reply to an e-mail seeking comment.
House prosecutors will have five days to reply to her comment, but they will likely respond by Friday, said Mr. Bucoy. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
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