Vice President Sara Duterte's Response to Impeachment Raises Questions About Court's Authority

The Vice President Sara Duterte's response to the articles of impeachment suggests that she does not recognize the authority of the impeachment court, according to House of Representatives prosecution panel spokesperson Antonio Bucoy.

Bucoy explained that Duterte's submission of an Answer Ad Cautelam indicates a cautious response, implying a lack of acceptance of the court's jurisdiction over the case.

He highlighted that by not stating the reason for questioning the court's jurisdiction in their submission, Duterte's legal team failed to acknowledge the court's authority, which goes against the rules.

Bucoy expressed concern that Duterte's strategy to avoid the impeachment trial through technicalities is an attempt to evade accountability.

On June 10, Duterte was directed to respond to the impeachment allegations after being impeached by 215 House members on various charges.

In her response, Duterte argued that the impeachment complaint should be voided from the beginning, citing a violation of the one-year ban rule under the 1987 Constitution.

However, Bucoy and the prosecution team pointed out that the limitation on impeachment proceedings starts when a verified petition reaches the House committee on justice, which was not the case with the previous complaints.

It was clarified that the one-year prohibition begins only after the charges are forwarded to the House committee, as per a previous Supreme Court decision.

Senate President Francis Escudero also referenced this ruling before the Senate convened as an impeachment court on June 10.

According to the source: Inquirer.net.