MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has pleaded not guilty to the impeachment charges filed against her, dismissing the verified complaint from the House of Representatives as baseless and illegal.
In a strongly worded 35-page Answer Ad Cautelam submitted to the Senate impeachment court on Monday, Duterte sought the outright dismissal of the fourth impeachment complaint, which she argued was unconstitutional and “nothing more than a scrap of paper.”
Her legal team cited the 1987 Constitution’s one-year bar rule, which prohibits the initiation of more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a 12-month period.
“The fourth impeachment complaint is void ab initio for violating the Constitution. It lacks any statement of ultimate facts and is merely filled with conclusions of fact and law,” the Vice President’s camp wrote. “Stripped of its legal dressing, it is nothing more than a scrap of paper.”
Duterte’s plea came after she was officially served a summons on June 11, instructing her to respond to the seven Articles of Impeachment approved by over 200 members of the House on February 5.
The Senate formally convened as an impeachment court on June 10, with the trial expected to begin during the 20th Congress.
The seven articles of impeachment against VP Duterte include:
- Conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
- Malversation of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds with questionable liquidation.
- Bribery and corruption during her tenure as Education Secretary involved high-ranking officials.
- Unexplained wealth, with her declared assets allegedly quadrupling between 2007 and 2017.
- Involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City.
- Destabilization efforts, such as boycotting the SONA, calling for Marcos’ resignation, and issuing threats.
- Overall conduct as Vice President, which the complaint claims betrays public trust.
Despite the severity of the allegations, Duterte firmly denied all charges, labeling them “false, misleading, impertinent, and mere conclusions of fact and law.”
Her answer also questioned the procedural validity of the trial itself, arguing that the summons was improper since the Senate had already returned the Articles of Impeachment to the House after an 18–5 vote by senator-judges.
“Without the Articles of Impeachment in the court’s possession, requiring the Vice President to answer is akin to forcing an accused to respond to criminal charges not yet admitted by the court,” Duterte’s legal team stated.
The Vice President’s plea underscores her intention to challenge both the substance and legality of the impeachment case, as she also awaits the Supreme Court’s response to her earlier petition seeking to nullify the proceedings.