VP Sara on impeachment complaint: ‘Nothing more than a scrap of paper’

National

VICE President Sara Duterte has asked the Senate, convening as the impeachment court, to dismiss the articles of impeachment against her.

In a 34-page answer ad cautelam (a legal term indicating a filing made with caution or without waiving objections, often to jurisdiction or procedure), Duterte on Monday, June 23, asserted that the charges were "nothing more than a scrap of paper" and represented a "clear abuse of the impeachment process."

The Vice President's defense hinges on a key constitutional provision: Article XI, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the 1987 Constitution, which explicitly prohibits the filing, within a year, of more than one impeachment case against an impeachable official.

She argued that the current complaint, endorsed by 215 House lawmakers on February 5, 2025, should be deemed "void ab initio" (void from the start) as it is the fourth such attempt against her.

This argument mirrors the points raised in her ongoing petition before the Supreme Court seeking to halt the impeachment trial.

The impeachment complaint against Duterte stemmed from two primary allegations: the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, particularly questioned for their rapid disbursement and alleged unauthorized transfers between agencies she headed – the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.

It also cited her widely criticized online rant in November 2024, in which she publicly stated she had "ordered the assassination" of President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez, raising concerns about national security and decorum. Based on these allegations, she is accused of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and graft and corruption.

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr., acting as the impeachment tribunal’s clerk of court, confirmed receipt of Duterte’s pleading at 5:49 p.m. on Monday, narrowly meeting the deadline for her response to the summons issued by the senator-judges on June 10.

Earlier that day, the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar law firm, representing the Vice President with a team of 16 lawyers, also submitted a copy of her response to the House of Representatives.(Angela Sarabosing, CNU Communication Intern)