Senator Raffy Tulfo stressed the importance of allowing the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte to move forward in the 20th Congress so she can present her defense and prove her innocence.
In a press briefing at the Senate on Tuesday, Tulfo said he will vote against a possible motion to dismiss Duterte’s impeachment case.
“I really want the impeachment trial to push through so we can give Vice President Sara a fair opportunity to present her side,” Tulfo said in Filipino.“She should clear her name by defending herself during the trial and proving her innocence, rather than the case being dismissed without even reaching the hearing stage,” he added.
He continued, “Right now, she insists she’s innocent—so let her prove it. It’s best that her innocence is established through a trial.”
Tulfo also revealed that he has been consulting with former justices from both the Supreme Court and the Sandiganbayan as part of his preparations for the impeachment trial. He said this would help him “make intelligent and informed decisions when the time comes.”
The Senate impeachment court first convened on June 10. During that session, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa filed a motion seeking the dismissal of the verified impeachment complaint against Duterte.
Later that day, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano proposed an amendment to dela Rosa’s motion, recommending instead that the articles of impeachment be returned to the House of Representatives without terminating the case.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers supporting the complaint. She faces charges including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
Duterte has pleaded “not guilty” and dismissed the complaint as nothing more than a “scrap of paper.”