Duterte to SC: Deny House appeal on impeachment case dismissal

Metro Manila, Philippines - Vice President Sara Duterte asked the Supreme Court (SC) to deny the House of Representatives appeal on its ruling that voided the impeachment complaint against her.

The SC released a copy of Duterte’s comment on Tuesday, Aug. 19, in which she stated the motion for reconsideration should be junked for “lack of merit.”

“The Decision requires no factual correction: it rests on an unshaken foundation of truth,” her comment stated.

The House urged the court to reverse its decision which said the Articles of Impeachment are unconstitutional and that the lower chamber violated the one-year bar rule and due process. The House added that its impeachment was within the bounds of law while the ruling was based on “erroneous” information.

“This fixation on peripheral details downplays the legitimate issue in this case, namely, that the HOR (House of Representatives) committed grave abuse of discretion and deliberately did away with constitutionally imposed limitations to its power to impeach,” the comment stated.

The House impeached Duterte on the grounds of graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes.

House lawmakers questioned Duterte’s purported misuse of P612.5-million confidential funds and kill threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

READ: ‘Xiaome Ocho’: Solon finds more dubious recipients of VP Duterte’s confidential funds

Following the SC decision, the Senate – which is tasked to hold the impeachment trial – archived the impeachment case.