The House prosecution panel reiterated its demand for Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the impeachment charges directly before the Senate impeachment court after the Supreme Court dismissed all petitions challenging the House’s impeachment proceedings.
Spokesperson Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. emphasized during a press briefing that the high court’s ruling establishes the Senate as the sole appropriate venue for her defense.
“So what’s clear now is that the proper forum is now the impeachment court,” Tolosa said. “If the Vice President has answers, she must present them here before the impeachment court. If she has evidence, she must show it here.”
Despite 13 days of trial sessions since the proceedings commenced on July 6, the Vice President has yet to personally attend. The Supreme Court’s ruling was made public shortly after the Senate adjourned its session on Wednesday, August 5.
Prosecutors clarified that the dismissal does not decide the substance of the charges.
“So let us be very precise about what this is and what it is not. This is not yet a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the Vice President. It’s not a ruling on the merits of the issues which are now before the Impeachment Court,” Tolosa explained.
Tolosa noted that the petitions were dismissed on mootness grounds, as the articles of impeachment had already been formally approved and transferred to the Senate.
“Nakita natin, sinubukan nila na pigilan ang pagtakbo ng proseso sa [SC]. Ngayon maliwanag na those did not become successful,” Tolosa said. “Nasa Senado na ang kaso, dito na po sila sumagot ngayon.”
The impeachment trial centers on allegations regarding the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, discrepancies in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), unexplained wealth, and reported death threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.