Faster impeachment seen without VP Sara Duterte response

MANILA, Philippines — The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte may be expedited by the House committee on justice if she does not answer the complaints by Monday, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.

Duterte was given 10 days to provide a reply shortly after two impeachment complaints against her were deemed sufficient in substance and form. The deadline lapses on Monday.

“The House committee on justice is waiting for the Vice President’s answer. In the event that she does not respond by Monday, the process will be shortened, abbreviated,” Ridon said in a forum on Saturday.

“So this means, I think, as early as the final weeks of this month, we can proceed to a determination of sufficiency in grounds, and then we can proceed to the hearing proper,” he said.

End of office hours

Ridon, a member of the committee, noted that Duterte has until the end of office hours on Monday.

Should the Vice President respond, the complainants will be allowed to answer back within three days, and Duterte will be allowed to provide a rejoinder or another reply for another three days.

With or without a reply, the justice panel will proceed with determining the sufficiency in grounds, tentatively scheduled on April 8, Ridon said.

Charges

Duterte’s impeachment complaints are based partly on allegations of misuse of confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd), which she led from July 2022 to June 2024.

She is also accused, among other things, of threatening to hire a hitman to assassinate President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the president.

The complainants accuse the Vice President further of bribing DepEd officials and favoring certain parties in the agency’s bidding procedures. /cb