House Panel Orders VP Sara to Answer Impeachment Charges — She Has 10 Days
The political noose tightened around Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday as the House justice committee voted overwhelmingly to advance the impeachment complaints against her, finding both petitions sufficient in substance. The vote was a lopsided 54-1, with only Quezon City 4th District Representative Bong Suntay dissenting.
It's a major win for those pushing Duterte's ouster, and it stands in sharp contrast to what happened to her rival — when impeachment complaints were filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last month, both failed the same substance test, effectively giving him a one-year immunity shield.
With the substance hurdle cleared, the committee will now send Duterte copies of the complaints and give her 10 calendar days to file her answer. Kung hindi siya mag-respond, the committee will treat it as a blanket denial of all accusations against her.
The complaints, endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima and Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega, accuse Duterte of misusing confidential funds, bribing government officials, threatening the President's life, and amassing unexplained wealth. Of the original four complaints referred to the panel, only two survived the earlier form test.
What happens next is a series of exchanges between Duterte's camp and the complainants before the committee decides whether to hold a public hearing. The panel has 60 session days from the February 23 initiation to reach a final decision — meaning the clock is ticking, and the VP will need to mount her defense soon.
Source: Rappler
