(April 8): Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has asked the nation’s top court to stop the impeachment proceedings against her by the House of Representatives, saying the process is unconstitutional and “marred by grave abuse of discretion”.
In her petition, Duterte claimed the move by the House justice committee to proceed with two impeachment complaints after two others were dropped violated the rule that no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within one year.
She also called unconstitutional plans by the same committee to hold what she sees as “mini-trial” by ordering certain individuals to provide testimonies during hearings scheduled this month, saying only the Senate has the power to act as an impeachment court. Duterte is accused of threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and misusing public funds, allegations she has denied.
“The impeachment proceedings against the petitioner are unconstitutional and continuing with them will result in miscarriage of justice and a mockery of processes that our Constitution and laws have always aimed to protect,” Duterte said in her petition released late on Tuesday.
The latest impeachment attempts mark another political setback for Duterte who’s locked in a feud with Marcos and come as the nation faces economic challenges amid the Iran war that’s pushed inflation to a 20-month high in March.
In February, she declared her intention to run for president in the next election in 2028, when Marcos must step down after a mandated single six-year term.
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Congressman Terry Ridon, a member of the House justice committee, said Duterte’s petition is a “clear attempt to mislead the Supreme Court and the public”. He said the one-year bar only applies after a valid referral of an impeachment complaint and that only one referral was made to the panel.
“We are now in the middle of a constitutional process of accountability. We will continue the proceedings until the very end,” Ridon said in a statement.
The latest bid to impeach the vice president follows an unsuccessful attempt last year. She was impeached by the House on largely similar accusations, but the Senate later shelved the case after the Supreme Court invalidated it, saying it violated the one-year bar.
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The vice president is the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who’s been detained at the International Criminal Court since March last year. The Marcos administration turned him over to The Hague-based court to face charges of crimes against humanity related to his drug war that killed thousands.
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