SC gives Duterte, others 10 days to comment on House appeal

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday gave Vice President Sara Duterte, lawyer Israelito Torreon, and other petitioners 10 days to file their comments on a motion for reconsideration submitted by the House of Representatives.

The motion seeks to challenge the Court’s 25 July decision dismissing the fourth impeachment complaint against the vice president.

The high bench also acknowledged a separate motion for reconsideration filed by Rep. Percival Cendaña and others, which remains pending alongside their motion to intervene in the case.

On 25 July, in its landmark ruling, the SC voided the impeachment complaint in a 13-0-2 vote, citing violations of the one-year ban on repeated impeachment attempts and due process guarantees. Justices Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa and Maria Filomena D. Singh abstained. The decision was immediately final.

On the other hand, the SC ordered Secretary Lorenzo G. Gadon, Rep. Cendaña, and commentator Richard Heydarian to respond within 10 days to petitions accusing them of indirect contempt. The petitions stem from their public criticisms of the Court’s impeachment ruling.