Sara Duterte on skipping March 25 impeachment hearing: ‘Mas pipiliin kong ilaan ang aking oras sa pagtulong sa mga Pilipino’
Vice President Sara Duterte explained her decision to skip the first day of the House Committee on Justice's impeachment hearings, stressing that there's a clear lack of evidence in the complaints filed against her and should therefore be dismissed.
In a statement released on Wednesday, March 25, the VP emphasized that the nation is currently facing problems amid continued price hikes—from the threat of business closures to the loss of jobs, among other hardships.
"Ang imbitasyon na dumalo sa pagdinig ng Committee on Justice ay tila ginagamit upang makabuo ng isang media narrative na magkakaroon ng 'mini-trial,' batay sa umano'y hindi ko pagsagot at hindi pagdalo," she pointed out.
For Duterte, the House of Representatives is only using the hearings to conduct a third "fishing expedition" against her. "Muli, inuuna ang politika kaysa sa kapakanan ng milyon-milyong Pilipino na hirap na hirap dahil sa mahal na bilihin."
"Malinaw na walang patakaran na nagsasabing kailangang personal na dumalo ang respondent sa impeachment complaint sa mga pagdinig ng Committee on Justice," she stressed. "Naisumite ko na ang aking Answer ad Cautelam. Sa ngayon, wala nang dapat pang gawin ang Komite kundi ibasura ang mga reklamo dahil sa malinaw na kakulangan ng ebidensya."
"Samantala, mas pipiliin kong ilaan ang aking oras sa pagtulong sa mga Pilipino—lalo na sa pagbibigay ng paalala, diretso sa mga komunidad, upang maibsan ang hirap sa gastusin ng mga pamilyang higit na nangangailangan," she added.
The House Committee on Justice kicked off its hearings on the impeachment complaints filed against Duterte on March 25 after declaring the third and fourth raps sufficient in grounds on March 18.
On March 4, the House panel deemed the third and fourth impeachment complaints, filed by Fr. Sballa et al. and Atty. Nathaniel Cabrera, respectively, against her sufficient in substance.
The third complaint, endorsed by ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, accused Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, plunder and/or malversation, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The fourth one, endorsed by House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, likewise cited violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes as grounds of impeachment.
The first complaint was set aside for violating the one-year bar rule, while the second was withdrawn as it's similar to the third rap.
According to House Committee on Justice chairperson Gerville Luistro, other initial dates of the hearing are April 14, 22, and 29.
