The House prosecution panel on Tuesday dismissed Vice President Sara Duterte’s formal response to her impeachment case, saying it failed to address the core allegations and leaned solely on technical arguments.
In a GMA News Online report, panel spokesperson Atty. Antonio Audie Bucoy criticized Duterte’s “answer ad cautelam” — a cautious entry of appearance — which asked the Senate impeachment court to junk the case against her, citing the constitutional bar that allows only one impeachment complaint per year.
According to Bucoy, the Vice President did not clearly contest the Senate court’s jurisdiction nor did she present any factual defense. “’Yung kanyang sagot, wala ho siyang factual nor legal grounds ukol roon sa mga factual allegations ng impeachment complaint. It was all procedural,” he said. “Those who cannot address the substance rely on technical procedures, which is what she did here.”
Bucoy emphasized that the complaint against Duterte was constitutionally sound, explaining that the previous three complaints filed in December 2024 were never officially initiated, as they were not referred to the House Committee on Justice — a key requirement for initiation under the rules.
He said the fourth complaint, filed in February and endorsed by over 200 lawmakers, bypassed committee deliberations as allowed by the Constitution and became the Articles of Impeachment once it reached the Senate.
Bucoy also pushed back against Duterte’s claim that the complaint is “a mere scrap of paper,” pointing out, “E kung basura, bakit niyo sinagot? Buhay na buhay ang Articles of Impeachment, regardless of the defect of her answer.”
Despite the Vice President’s arguments, Bucoy confirmed that the House panel would still submit its formal reply by Saturday and was fully prepared to move into a full trial. “There is no justifiable reason to dismiss the impeachment complaint without a trial,” he asserted. “The mandate of the Senate impeachment court is to try and to decide — not to dismiss without trial.”
