Bicol Saco Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Monday pushed back against claims that the impeachment proceedings against Sara Duterte violated her constitutional rights, saying the vice president was given ample opportunity to respond to the complaints filed against her.

Ridon said the vice president was not deprived of due process, contrary to assertions made by Duterte’s camp in their response to the impeachment complaints.

“It is incorrect to claim that the impeachment complaints failed to state ultimate facts,” Ridon said.

“However, the submission does not specifically and completely rebut the material allegations raised in the complaints,” he added.

Duterte’s camp argued in the the answer ad cautelam that the impeachment proceedings violate her right to due process and claimed the complaints lack “ultimate facts,” a legal standard required to support impeachment charges.

“Absent any statement of ultimate facts in any of these Impeachment Complaints, there is nothing for respondent to answer. Respondent thus only admits averments therein insofar as they allege her election, assumption to the Office of the Vice President, appointment as Secretary of Education, and her prior offices as Mayor and Vice Mayor of Davao City,” Duterte’s camp said. 

But Ridon rejected that claim, insisting that the vice president had been given the chance to defend herself during the process.

“She was in fact afforded the opportunity to respond,” Ridon rebutted, emphasizing that the House panel would continue to carry out its constitutional mandate to determine whether impeachable officials should be held accountable.

Under the Constitution, the House of Representatives has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases, while the Senate acts as the impeachment court if the case proceeds to trial.

Ridon said the committee would continue to assess the complaints in line with this constitutional duty.

“The House panel will continue to discharge its constitutional duty to ensure that impeachable officials are held accountable for impeachable offenses,” he said.