Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon on Tuesday sharply criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s petition before the Supreme Court, accusing it of misrepresenting facts and constitutional provisions.
“Ang petisyong ito ay nakabatay sa maling paglalahad ng mga aktwal na pangyayari at maling interpretasyon ng Konstitusyon at umiiral na jurisprudence. Ito ay malinaw na panlilinlang ng Pangalawang Pangulo at ng kanyang mga abogado sa Korte Suprema at sa publiko,” Ridon said in a statement.
He disputed Duterte’s claim that the House plenary failed to refer the impeachment complaints to the Committee on Justice, citing official records and video footage from the February 23, 2026 session showing that the referral was made at 3:48 p.m. in line with Section 3(2), Article XI of the Constitution.
“Hindi ito aksyon lamang ng Speaker o ng Committee on Rules. Ito ay aksyon ng plenaryo ng House of Representatives bilang isang kolektibong katawan,” Ridon emphasized.
The lawmaker also rejected arguments that the referral violated the one-year bar rule, explaining that the restriction applies only after a valid referral.
He referenced the Duterte vs. House case, noting that it affirms the Committee on Justice’s authority to determine which complaints proceed or are dismissed.
Ridon underscored that due process is being observed, saying,
“Ang kapangyarihan ng Committee on Justice na magsagawa ng pagdinig, mag-isyu ng subpoena, at mangalap ng ebidensya ay malinaw na nakapaloob sa Konstitusyon, sa House Rules on Impeachment, at sa nagdaang kaso ng Duterte vs. House.”
He added that the hearings themselves are the mechanism to uncover the truth.
Despite Duterte’s petition, Ridon affirmed that the impeachment proceedings will continue.
“Nasa gitna na tayo ng proseso ng pagpapanagot sa Pangalawang Pangulo. Tuloy-tuloy ito hanggang pinakadulo. Tama na ang panlilinlang. Tama na ang pagsisinungaling. Panahon na para harapin ang katotohanan,” he said.