Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday reiterated that there is insufficient evidence to warrant an impeachment case against her.
This came after Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno requested before the House Committee on Justice the issuance of subpoenas to obtain key documents and records about Duterte, including her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) and records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council pertaining to her covered or suspicious transactions.
Diokno also sought records from the National Bureau of Investigation concerning threats made by Duterte against President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“The committee cannot conduct an investigation to search for evidence to support accusations already made in the impeachment complaints. Doing so would amount to a third ‘fishing expedition’ by the House of Representatives,” Duterte said.
“Now we are witnessing yet another desperate attempt to search for evidence where none exists,” she added.
Duterte described the situation as an insult to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the poor, and Filipino families struggling due to ongoing conflicts and rising tensions in the Middle East.
“This is another insult. This time, it is directed at our OFWs, the poor, and the many Filipino families who may soon be pushed deeper into hardship as a result of war and its global consequences,” she said.
The vice president is currently facing two active impeachment complaints that were deemed sufficient in form and substance by the House justice committee on March 2 and 4, respectively.
