After VP Sara Duterte Filed Petition Before the Supreme Court, House Speaker Bojie Dy Speaks on Impeachment Proceedings
House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III confirmed that the Committee on Justice’s proceedings of the impeachment complaint versus Vice President Sara Duterte will continue.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte recently filed a petition before the Supreme Court asking it to stop the impeachment proceedings of the House of Representatives as well as the House Justice panel. Her camp questions the constitutionality of the process.
The Duterte camp believes that the “proper venue” for the discussions about the impeachment complaints is the Senate. Thus, the Vice President skipped the first hearing set by the House Justice panel.
The absence of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte at the first impeachment hearing drew different reactions including criticisms. Countless Filipinos are calling for her to clarify the allegations against her. The Vice President’s camp continually asserts that they will do it in the proper forum. Recently, the Supreme Court moved on the petition filed by Duterte.
On the request of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the House and its justice committee, the Supreme Court ordered the House justice committee to answer to the consolidated petitions filed by the Duterte camp.
The high court did not issued the TRO sought by Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Based on a report on GMA News, House Speaker Bojie Dy spoke on the matter.
According to House Speaker Bojie Dy, the proceedings of the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will continue. He stressed that the Supreme Court did not issue a TRO and they respect the process of the high court.
“The House of Representatives welcomes the Supreme Court’s non-issuance of a temporary restraining order. We have the highest respect for the Court and its processes, and we defer to its authority on matters properly brought before it,” the House Speaker said.
Based on the report, the next impeachment hearing on the complaints filed against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is set on April 14. Among the grounds raised against the Vice President are the following:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
The House of Representatives’ Justice panel has issued a subpoena for the Ombudsman. According to Ombudsman Boying Remulla, they will submit Certified True Copies of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALN of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to the House.
