Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima on Friday called on the Supreme Court of the Philippines not to allow Vice President Sara Duterte to use legal remedies as a way to evade accountability.
De Lima issued the statement following the filing of a petition for certiorari by a group led by Israelito Torreon and former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez.
The petition seeks to block the House Committee on Justice from proceeding with two impeachment complaints against Duterte.
“This time, the Supreme Court should tell VP Sara to stop using them to evade accountability. Hindi dapat pumayag ang korte na palagi na lang silang ginagawang takbuhan ni Sara sa pag-iwas niya sa pananagutan sa batas,” De Lima said.
De Lima recalled that Duterte previously avoided accountability after Torreon successfully moved to dismiss an article of impeachment filed by the House of Representatives of the Philippines to the Senate on February 5, 2025. The Supreme Court later ruled the case unconstitutional, citing lack of due process as it did not pass through the Justice Committee.
To address this, the House ensured that the two impeachment complaints against Duterte would undergo proper review by the Justice Committee. However, the process is once again being challenged before the high court by Duterte’s allies.
“Initiation of an impeachment case, which covers the proceedings before the Committee of Justice, is the House’s exclusive domain. When we respect that, we also respect and uphold the constitutional edict on separation of powers,” De Lima said.
While she admitted she has yet to review the full petition filed by Torreon’s group, De Lima said the move reflects Duterte’s alleged attempt to avoid impeachment proceedings.
“May pa-‘bloodbath, bloodbath’ pang sinasabi noon. Sa simpleng committee hearing nga ay takot na takot ngayon,” she added.
The lawmaker stressed that the Supreme Court must uphold the constitutional process and prevent any efforts to derail accountability mechanisms.