Palace rebuffs quo warranto petition vs Duterte

Malacañang has brushed off the quo warranto petition filed against President Rodrigo Duterte by lawyer Elly Pamatong, saying the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction over the pleading.

Nevertheless, the President will still answer the petition and show that Pamatong’s case is without merit, said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.

“The President will answer that to [show] that the petition is without merit. That is out of the jurisdiction of our Supreme Court,” he said.

In a radio interview on Monday, Roque said the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) was the proper venue to challenge the presidency.

“It is clear that in all controversies faced by elected Presidents, these should be filed before the PET,” Roque said.

Earlier, Malacañang said it would heed the high court’s directive requiring the President to answer within 10 days Pamatong’s allegations that his certificate of candidacy in the 2016 polls was illegal. —Julie M. Aurelio