House Committee on Justice member Terry Ridon cast doubt on claims that Vice President Sara Duterte was not involved in a petition filed by her lawyers before the Supreme Court (SC).

The Bicol Saro Partylist representative said it was difficult to believe Duterte had no knowledge of the petition, noting that her legal counsel were with her during an event in Davao City on 28 March.

“No one will believe that the Vice President knew nothing about the Supreme Court petition filed by her lawyers and allies,” he said.

Lawyers for the Vice President sought a temporary restraining order against the House justice panel, citing alleged constitutional violations in the impeachment proceedings.

Atty. Israelito Torreon argued that the committee had gone beyond its mandate of evaluating complaints and was instead conducting its own investigation to build a case against the Vice President.

During the Davao event, Duterte maintained that her lawyers acted independently and did not consult her before filing the petition, saying she was setting aside the proceedings to focus on other pressing concerns in the community.

Members of the House Committee on Justice pushed back against the Duterte camp’s claims, insisting they were acting within their jurisdiction and following due process.

Ysabel Zamora said the panel was complying with Supreme Court guidance requiring impeachment complaints to undergo scrutiny at the committee level.

House Justice Committee chair Gerville Luistro, however, said Duterte’s submissions focused more on questioning the process rather than addressing the allegations.