Sara camp opposes House bid to resurrect impeach trial

The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte has opposed before the Supreme Court (SC) a bid by the House of Representatives to reinstate the impeachment complaint against her.

“We confirm that we have formally filed our comment/opposition to the motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives before the Honorable Supreme Court,” lawyer Michael Poa told reporters.

Poa, Duterte’s spokesperson, said the defense team’s comment was filed before the SC on Monday afternoon.

“In deference to the sub judice rule and out of respect for the judicial process, we will not be granting media interviews or issuing further statements at this time,” he added.

Poa likewise apologized to the media, saying they could not provide copies of the defense’s filing out of respect for the court.

Earlier, the SC declared the articles of impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional, saying they were barred by the one-year rule under the Constitution.

Three impeachment complaints were filed against the vice president in December 2024, all related to the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

A fourth complaint, endorsed by more than one-third of House members, was later transmitted to the Senate as the articles of impeachment.

On 5 February, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte, with a majority voting to adopt the articles of impeachment.

Duterte stands accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption and other high crimes, particularly regarding the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds of the OVP and the Department of Education, which she concurrently headed.