Legal representatives for Vice President Sara Duterte expressed a lack of surprise following the House Committee on Justice’s unanimous decision to advance impeachment complaints against her, while simultaneously questioning the validity of the proceedings.
The defense team issued a statement shortly after 53 members of the panel voted to move forward with the case, which alleges culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.
While the outcome was anticipated by the Vice President’s camp, her lawyers argued that the committee had overstepped its constitutional boundaries.
“The finding of probable cause by the House committee on justice was not unexpected, given the direction the proceedings had taken,” Duterte’s lawyers said.
The defense maintains that the House panel effectively began conducting a full-scale trial—a function they argue is reserved exclusively for the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.
They contended that the committee should have limited its scope to the evidence provided within the verified complaints rather than expanding the inquiry.
“We respectfully maintain that the proceedings before the committee departed from the constitutional design.”
Despite these objections, the two consolidated complaints are now headed toward the House plenary. The committee’s unanimous vote marks a critical step in the constitutional process that could lead to the unseating of the nation’s second-highest official.
To successfully elevate the case to the Senate for a formal trial, the articles of impeachment must secure the support of at least one-third of the total House membership, amounting to 106 out of the 318 incumbent representatives.