House committee to keep inviting Duterte despite silence on impeachment

A HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES committee handling the impeachment complaints against Vice‑President Sara Duterte‑Carpio will continue sending invitations despite her failure to respond, a congressman said on Tuesday, as hearings on the charges are set to begin.

The House Justice Committee will persist in inviting Ms. Duterte to attend the proceedings so she could answer the allegations if she chooses to do so, Batangas Rep. Gerville R. Luistro said, noting that the Vice‑President had yet to confirm her attendance at Wednesday’s hearing.

“As long as the hearing proper has not yet concluded, we will keep on sending her invitations so that at any point during the proceedings, she can actually come,” Ms. Luistro, who heads the committee, said in a statement in mixed English and Filipino.

Michael T. Poa, spokesman for Ms. Duterte’s legal team, did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

The 39‑member House panel is set to begin hearings on Wednesday, in proceedings expected to be politically charged as they could affect Ms. Duterte’s presidential ambitions.

The Vice‑President has announced plans to run for President amid impeachment complaints that, if elevated to the Senate, could result in her removal from office and permanent disqualification from holding public office.

The complaints accuse Ms. Duterte of conspiring to have President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., the First Lady and a former Speaker killed, and of misusing hundreds of millions of pesos in confidential funds — allegations she has denied.

Last week, Ms. Duterte asked the Justice committee to dismiss the complaints, saying the accusations were unsupported by evidence and based largely on speculation.

She said the cases failed to state “ultimate facts” and merely recycled allegations raised during a previous impeachment attempt last year.

“If you’re claiming innocence, you should take advantage of all opportunities to prove your innocence,” Ms. Luistro said. “The hearing proper is the best opportunity for her to defend herself from the allegations in the complaints.”

In early March, the Justice committee advanced two of the four impeachment complaints against Ms. Duterte.

One complaint was dismissed for violating the constitutional ban on filing multiple impeachment cases against the same official within a one‑year period, while another was withdrawn by the complainants.

Lawmakers will now determine whether sufficient evidence exists to support the charges and whether they should be endorsed for a vote in the House plenary.

At least 106 lawmakers must vote in favor for the articles of impeachment to be sent to the Senate, which would convene as an impeachment court.

Ms. Luistro said the committee would also act on several motions related to the cases, including requests to subpoena documents from Ms. Duterte.

Party‑list Rep. Terry L. Ridon said last week these records could include the Vice‑President’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, as well as bank, tax and corporate documents.

Resolving these motions would allow the panel to proceed to the “evidentiary phase,” during which lawmakers would assess the merits of the impeachment complaints, Ms. Luistro said.

“If the complainants are ready, we can proceed with the presentation of evidence and witnesses,” she said. “Members will study all the evidence by both the complainants and the respondent.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio