MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio has formally asked the Senate impeachment court to dismiss the impeachment case against her, arguing that the complaint is legally defective and fails to establish any of the constitutional grounds required for her removal from office.
The Vice President’s legal team on Tuesday submitted its formal answer to the Articles of Impeachment, marking a key development in the impeachment proceedings as the Senate prepares for the next phase of the trial.
Lawyer Michael Poa, one of Duterte-Carpio’s counsels, personally led the filing before the Senate and confirmed that the Vice President had complied with the impeachment court’s directive to answer the charges.
“We just wanted to officially state the Vice President, through counsel, has filed her answer…for the Senate sitting as an impeachment court,” Poa told reporters.
In her response, Duterte-Carpio challenged both the substance of the allegations and the manner by which the impeachment complaint was pursued in the House of Representatives.
The defense argued that the complaint is riddled with constitutional, procedural and substantive defects and does not sufficiently support the accusations leveled against the Vice President.
“Ultimately, none of the allegations sufficiently establish the constitutional standards for culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, high crimes, or betrayal of public trust,” the answer reads.
The Vice President’s lawyers also accused the House of Representatives of overstepping its constitutional authority during the impeachment process.
“Rather than presenting clear, credible, and legally sufficient proof of impeachable conduct, the Articles rely on erroneous conclusions, speculation, political rhetoric, and materials gathered through an unauthorized evidentiary fishing expedition conducted beyond the constitutional role of the House of Representatives,” it added.
The Senate confirmed receiving Duterte-Carpio’s answer, which was officially logged by the Senate Secretary and clerk of the impeachment court at around 4:35 p.m.
Under the timetable set by the impeachment court, House prosecutors have five calendar days from receipt of the Vice President’s answer to submit their reply.
Duterte-Carpio was impeached by the House of Representatives on May 11 after 257 lawmakers voted in favor of the complaint, while 25 voted against it.
The Articles of Impeachment accuse the Vice President of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.
The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, will ultimately decide whether Duterte-Carpio should be convicted or acquitted once the trial proceeds./PN
