Manila City 3rd District Representative Joel Chua said Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent remarks against the House of Representatives revealed her fear of Ramil Madriaga, who may be called to testify in the impeachment proceedings against her.
“The impeachment complaints filed before the House of Representatives are not the endpoints of the constitutional process. They are merely the beginning of a procedure that allows the House to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to transmit Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial,” Chua explained.
He noted that Duterte has yet to submit her answer to the impeachment complaints already declared sufficient in form and substance by the House Committee on Justice.
“She has every right under the rules to file or not file such pleadings. If she chooses not to do so, that may well be part of a legal strategy to reserve her main defense for the Senate, where the actual impeachment trial will take place,” Chua said.
For Chua, Duterte’s public statement “appears to reveal aspects of that defense strategy.”
“So, takot pala talaga siya sa mga nalalaman ni Madriaga. Such statements may ultimately aid the House when it performs its constitutional duty of presenting the Articles of Impeachment before the Senate,” he added.
Chua further claimed Duterte’s remarks suggested fear rather than truth, saying they were aimed at shaping public opinion through “misleading narratives.”
“More importantly, the tone and substance of the Vice President’s statement suggest fear rather than truth. It appears directed primarily at her political base in an effort to shape public opinion through misleading narratives,” Chua said.
He emphasized that the impeachment process is governed by the Constitution, House rules, and parliamentary practice.
“If the Vice President truly believes in due process, she should engage the process with clarity and respect rather than attempt to discredit it before it even runs its course. The House will not be deterred from performing its constitutional duty,” Chua added.