VICE President Sara Duterte has until today, March 16, to respond to the impeachment complaints that the House Committee on Justice has found to be sufficient in substance.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the committee, told a news forum on Saturday the panel would wait for Duterte’s reply until the end of office hours, “and then we will have to decide what the next step will be.”
On March 4, the committee served a notice giving Duterte 10 days to answer the two impeachment complaints.
“Failure on your part to file the Verified Answer within the period herein provided shall be deemed a waiver of your right to file the same, and you shall be considered to have interposed a general denial to the allegations contained in the Impeachment Complaints,” the notice stated.
Ridon said the process would be “shortened, abbreviated” if Duterte does not file an answer by today.
“So that means, I think as early as the final weeks of this month, it can proceed to a determination of sufficiency in grounds, and then we can proceed to the hearing proper,” he said.
Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, the committee chairman, said that the vice president’s answer will be forwarded to the complainant, who has three calendar days to file a reply.
Duterte has three days to file a rejoinder.
Four complaints were filed last month against Duterte. The House committee set aside the first one, saying it violated the rule against initiating impeachment proceedings against the same official more than once within a one-year period.
The second complaint was withdrawn by the 17 people who filed it.
The third alleged that Duterte violated the Constitution and betrayed public trust in connection with confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President for 2022 and 2023, and confidential funds allocated for 2023 to the Department of Education.
