The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte stated that it was going to comply with the order of the Senate to submit a reply to the Articles of Impeachment which have been filed against her through the House of Representatives.

In a statement issued to reporters, they stated that they have taken note of the upper house convening as an impeachment court and the subsequent summons that were stated by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

“We will comply and file the appropriate response in accordance with the Constitution and applicable rules,” they said.

The lawyers expressed that they would not be commenting any further concerning the impeachment process out of respect for the constitutional process.

Through previous press conferences, Atty. Sheila Sison, a member of the Vice President’s camp, said that their client was prepared to answer the allegations raised against her through the “proper forum.”

Duterte was notably absent from all proceedings undertaken at the House of Representatives into the complaints that were submitted against her as she along with supporters deemed the lower house’s process to be “unconstitutional” in nature.

“The respondent is prepared to meet the accusations against her but before the proper forum, before the body that is vested by the authority or power to conduct a trial under the Constitution,” Sison said.

“If you take a look at the Constitution, the only body that can conduct trials in impeachment cases is the Senate,” she added.

Within the impeachment articles transmitted to the Senate last Wednesday, 14 May, Duterte was alleged to have committed impeachable offenses through the existence of her unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential funds, bribery of public officials, and grave threats directed at high-ranking officials.

At this point in the impeachment process, Cayetano said that Duterte has been given a non-extendable period of 10 days to submit a formal response to the allegations upon receipt of the copies of the documents and the order.

After which, the 11 prosecutors from the House are provided with five days to issue their own reply prior to the actual trial commencing at the Senate.