Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon dismissed the petition filed with the Supreme Court of the Philippines challenging the constitutionality of the House Committee on Justice’s impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte as a mere diversionary tactic.
“This petition is a clear diversionary tactic designed to deflect from the impeachment proceedings now underway against the Vice President,” Ridon said in a statement.
He assured that the petition would not halt the committee’s effort to hold Duterte accountable for alleged misuse of confidential funds, issuance of death threats against the President and other officials, and unexplained wealth and related violations.
Ridon also questioned the legal standing of the petitioners, who claimed to file the case as taxpayers.
“Their claim of taxpayer status as basis for standing is misplaced. Taxpayer suits are recognized only in cases involving the illegal disbursement of public funds. No such disbursement is involved in impeachment proceedings,” he explained.
The lawmaker defended the committee’s decision to subpoena documents necessary to determine probable cause, which would then allow the case to be elevated to the Senate of the Philippines for trial.
“The subpoena of documents relevant to the grounds for impeachment is well within the authority of the House Committee on Justice under the 1987 Constitution and the House Rules on Impeachment, both of which expressly allow the conduct of hearings in aid of impeachment proceedings,” Ridon said.
“Neither the Constitution nor the Rules require that all evidence be attached to the impeachment complaint at the time of filing. The Committee is fully empowered to undertake all necessary fact-finding measures to establish the truth.”
Documents subpoenaed include copies of Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), as well as tax, corporate, and bank records of the Vice President and her husband.
“This is not a fishing expedition. What we have is an impeachable official who continues to evade accountability,” Ridon said. “But the clock is ticking. The subpoenas will be complied with—and the Vice President will be made accountable.”
The House Committee on Justice will continue its hearings, with the next session scheduled on April 14.