Duterte camp seeks dismissal of impeach complaints, questions House standards

The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte asked the House Committee on Justice to dismiss the impeachment complaints filed against her on March 16, questioning the legitimacy and consistency of the screening process.

Duterte’s legal team argued that the allegations were not impeachable offenses, emphasizing that even without a response from the Vice President, the impeachment case would still proceed, and she would be “deemed to have interposed a general denial to the complaint.”

“The impeachment complaints brazenly accuse the Vice President of entering into a supposed ‘contract to kill,’ yet they fail to present any shred of proof that any such contract ever existed,” the Duterte’s camp replied.

Lawyer Michael Poa, one of Duterte’s legal counsels, highlighted that the vice president’s camp raised several issues in their response.

“We raised due process issues because of what we feel, sa aming pananaw, ay hindi naging uniform ‘yung standards ng pag-determine ng sufficiency in form and substance doon sa naging impeachment complaints laban sa ating pangulo at impeachment complaints laban sa ating ikalawang pangulo,” Poa emphasized.

It was also mentioned that the testimony of Duterte’s former aide Ramil Madriaga, whose affidavit on Duterte ordering him to transport large amounts of money was cited by all four complaints and compared with the case of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“In addition, Ramil A. Madriaga’s alleged Affidavit, insofar as it claims that the Vice President allegedly conspired with certain individuals to distribute money, seems to have been treated as gospel truth, despite being equally unauthenticated, inherently incredible, of questionable origin, and devoid of any probative value,” Duterte’s legal team stated.

Meanwhile, under the House’s rules on impeachment, she had 10 days to answer the complaint, as she received the notice on March 5, making March 16 her deadline.

After the respondent files an answer, the complainants may file a reply within three days, after which a respondent may file a rejoinder.