The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday said the filing of a third impeachment complaint against her came as “no surprise,” noting that they had anticipated additional cases beyond the two already filed.
In an interview with the YouTube program “Third Floor Studio: Your Happy Network,” Duterte’s defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said the legal team is prepared for further developments in the House of Representatives.
“Hintayin lang natin ‘yung developments sa House kung kailan ‘yan mailalagay sa order of business, kailan ito either mare-refer sa committee, or kung magkakaroon ng fast-track,” Poa said, adding that the defense is closely monitoring proceedings in the lower chamber.
(Let us just wait for the developments in the House regarding when that will be included in the order of business, when it will be referred to a committee, or if it will be fast-tracked.)
Poa said he sees no issue with the filing of another complaint, stressing that it is up to complainants if they wish to initiate additional impeachment cases.
His statement followed the filing of a third impeachment complaint by a group of priests, nuns, and lawyers, which was endorsed by ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima.
Asked whether Duterte would personally appear should the House Committee on Justice summon her, Poa said the defense team would first assess developments before deciding.
“As far as I remember, at the committee level, impeachable officials usually do not appear. But we will evaluate if her presence is necessary and inform the Vice President accordingly,” he said.
In a separate message to reporters, Poa said the defense team would continue to respond to the complaints through the appropriate constitutional processes.
Two impeachment complaints had earlier been filed against Duterte with the Office of the Secretary General of the House.
The first was lodged by members of the Makabayan Coalition and endorsed by the Makabayan bloc, while the second was filed by civil society and religious groups and endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña and ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima.
