MANILA, Philippines — Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte on Tuesday criticized House prosecutors for withdrawing three articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, questioning why they would abandon the accusations after months of publicly attacking her.
“After all the beating you have done, you cannot simply back down just like that,” Duterte said, accusing the prosecution of dragging people’s names through the mud before retreating from three of the impeachment charges.
He challenged the prosecutors to stand by their allegations if they had sufficient evidence, arguing that the withdrawal should not be presented as a political victory.
“If your evidence is strong, stand by it. If you have sufficient grounds, present them. But do not call withdrawal a victory,” Duterte said.
House prosecution lead counsel Rep. Gerville Luistro manifested on Tuesday to withdrew three other articles, including allegations involving the misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady and former House speaker Martin Romualdez.
The prosecution’s move leaves Article II, which concerns alleged unexplained wealth and undeclared business interests, as the sole remaining article in the impeachment case against Sara Duterte.
