Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima brushed off Vice President Sara Duterte’s claim that the second impeachment complaint filed against her is “baseless,” saying the case rests on the same substantive grounds as the first impeachment and is now supported by additional evidence.

De Lima said the allegations raised by civil society groups in the new complaint are issues that Duterte has repeatedly refused to address.

“We must remember that she was already impeached by the House based on essentially and primarily the same substantial grounds na nakalagay sa complaint,” De Lima, one of the endorsers of the complaint, said.

She noted that the articles of impeachment approved by the House last year were dismissed on technical grounds and not on the merits of the accusations.

De Lima added that the complainants and endorsers are confident the new complaint is sufficient to warrant impeachment.

“For the complainants and for us — the endorsers of the 2nd complaint — the evidence is strong. Nadagdagan pa nga ito,” she said.

The impeachment complaints filed this year cite the affidavit of Ramil Madriaga, Duterte’s alleged former aide, who claimed he delivered cash derived from the vice president’s confidential funds.

De Lima said she is confident the complaint she endorsed will be found sufficient in both form and substance, leading to evidentiary hearings before the House Committee on Justice and eventual transmission to the Senate for trial.

She added that Duterte’s assertion that the complaint is mere politicking will not be enough to dismiss the case.

“She must prove the allegations has no basis, because if not she will answer for embezzling people’s money,” De Lima said.

Earlier, Duterte criticized Akbayan for endorsing the impeachment complaint, saying the party-list group lacked credibility and was motivated by politics rather than public interest. She also described the complaint as harassment and an abuse of the impeachment process.