The House of Representatives expects Vice President Sara Duterte to address the heavy allegations leveled against her in full detail rather than dodging the trial, House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V said on Tuesday.
The statement comes as the strict, non-extendible 10-calendar-day window provided by the Senate impeachment court draws to a close on June 1. Following her response, the House prosecution panel will have a rigid five-calendar-day period to submit its subsequent comments.
Ortega warned that attempting to file a motion to dismiss or requesting the Senate to halt proceedings while awaiting a Supreme Court ruling would be viewed as a clear obstruction strategy.
“We are hoping to receive an answer, not a motion to dismiss,” Ortega said. “It will just be a waste of time. We do not think the Senate impeachment court, which has so far acted forthwith on the impeachment case, will allow it.”
The La Union 1st District Representative strongly urged the Vice President to utilize the upcoming Senate trial to fulfill her previous commitments to publicly clear her name.
“She consistently refused to show up in the House impeachment proceedings. She waited for more than a year since last year’s impeachment process for her trial to take place and to present her answer. She should seize this opportunity so the people can finally hear from her,” Ortega added.
The Vice President faces a litany of severe impeachment charges, including:
- Accumulation of unexplained wealth and failing to properly disclose assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).
- Making public assassination threats against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
- Graft, corruption, and the alleged bribery of Department of Education (DepEd) officials.
- Misuse of multi-million public and confidential funds.
House prosecutors maintain that they possess unshakeable evidence against Duterte. Key among their documents is a comprehensive financial report from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), which meticulously tracks the bank and transaction histories of the Vice President and her husband.
The records trace back to her early political years as the vice mayor of Davao City up until her 2024 tenure as the second-highest official of the country.