A human rights lawyer branded as “frivolous” another petition to the Supreme Court seeking to stop impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte by the House of Representatives (HoR).
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers president Ephraim Cortez said the latest attempt seeks to evade Duterte’s impeachment through “delaying tactics.”
“The ground relied upon for the petition is obviously flimsy,” Cortez opined as the law firm Torreon & Partners asked the high court on Friday to issue a temporary restraining order and nullify the HoR’s Committee on Justice (CoJ) proceeding against the vice president.
.Cortez pointed out that the HoR’s CoJ is careful in its second attempt to impeach the vice president, deliberately following their Rules on Impeachment.
Even the Supreme Court “affirmed the power of the HoR to promulgate its own [r]ules,” the human rights lawyer said.
The procedural steps mandated by HoR’s rules include hearings to determine probable cause, and are therefore correct to subpoena testimonial and documentary evidence and question witnesses, he clarified.
“Clearly, contrary to the claim of Sara Duterte, the Justice Committee has the authority to conduct hearings to determine probable cause. And due process requires that such a hearing be held to allow the parties to ventilate their causes and defenses,” Cortez said.
“Bank records will be subpoenaed, documents will be presented, and witnesses will testify. All of these will prove that she indeed committed impeachable offenses,” he added.
‘Grave abuse’
Lawyer Israelito Torreon and fellow petitioners argued that the lawmakers are committing grave abuse of discretion by declaring two “defective” complaints as sufficient in form, substance and grounds.
Torreon said the two complaints against Duterte are “constitutionally and procedurally defective” and should be dismissed outright.
The long-time Duterte ally said in a press briefing that the legislators are merely engaged in evidence-gathering by approving wide-ranging subpoenas, including asset records and corporate filings not cited in the approved complaints.
Torreon’s petition echoes assertions made by Duterte in her two ad Cautelam replies that the CoJ is occupied in a “fishing expedition” and violates the vice president’s due process rights.
Duterte was successful in fending off impeachment attempts in 2025 after the SC issued a restraining order against the impending Senate trial, eventually flagging the complaints as unconstitutional on technicalities.
Duterte claimed she was not consulted by Torreon before they filed their motion with the high court last Friday. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)