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Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
March 8, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Members of the House of Representatives expressed confidence yesterday that the Supreme Court will uphold the legality of the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying that the House strictly followed due process in endorsing the complaint.
“All were done through the proper process,” House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V said.
Ortega dismissed allegations that the House committed procedural violations, stressing that any legal challenge to the impeachment is merely a delaying tactic.
“Confidently, I can say that the House did not violate any laws or policy that are being thrown to us. It is just their counter to delay the proceedings,” he added. “I am very confident that this will not be a stumbling block to the impeachment.”
For his part, House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun echoed this, underscoring that the impeachment process was carried out with full adherence to legal requirements and constitutional guidelines.
“We have seen that Congress has carefully followed the proper process and we studied and followed religiously the laws on impeachment,” he added.
Khonghun also pointed out that the legal maneuvering from the Vice President’s camp appears to be a deliberate effort to stall the impeachment process.
“I think this is just one of the delaying tactics of the camp of the Vice President,” he said.
“They are trying to delay the impeachment trial because they find it hard to explain the incidence of misused public funds in the impeachment trial,” Khonghun added.
He further noted that the impeachment trial will expose various alleged irregularities within the Vice President’s office, particularly in the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
No delay
Countering an assertion made by Sen. Cynthia Villar – who suggested the House took its time transmitting the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte to the Senate – House Assistant Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre dismissed yesterday any claims of a delay, saying discussions and preparations in the House began the moment the complaints were filed.
“From day one, there were already discussions and assessments happening among members. This was not a rushed or politically motivated move – this was a well-thought-out process that consolidated three different complaints into one strong, unified case,” Acidre said.
He further added the lower chamber follows a deliberate and meticulous process that cannot be rushed.
“Impeachment is a constitutional process that requires careful deliberation, legal scrutiny and political consensus,” Acidre said.
He pointed out that senators who were previously House members – directly referencing Villar who was a representative of Las Piñas in 2001 before becoming senator – should be fully aware of the intricacies of the impeachment process.
“The senator, who was a former member of the House, knows that this is a simple matter. If this passes through the House committee on justice, it will further take time, but because the 215 members of the House signed it, the transmittal of the Articles of Impeachment was done early,” Acidre said.
Had the House opted to go through the usual House committee on justice hearings, it would have significantly prolonged the process, he added.
Acidre underscored that the overwhelming support from House members was what allowed the process to move swiftly, contrary to claims of delay.
He reminded senators that their responsibility now is to act “forthwith” on the impeachment case, rather than questioning the House’s process.
More Piatos names
The discovery of additional fictitious and bogus names in the receipts linked to the OVP’s confidential funds has further solidified the impeachment case against Duterte.
Ortega said these transactions form some of the strongest pieces of evidence that will be presented against the Vice President.
“This is one of the strongest evidence that we can present, but I will not dwell into specifics yet since it will be used during the impeachment trial,” the House leader said yesterday.
Ortega said the repeated emergence of fabricated names like “Renan Piatos,” “Pia Piatos” and even “Xiaome Ocho” reinforces the strength of the impeachment case.
“It’s the same premise on ‘Mary Grace Piattos,’ they are also included the family of ‘Piattos,’ ‘Renan,’ ‘Pia Piatos’ and ‘Xiaome.’ They are the same situation. People that are not existing,” he said.
Ortega said these fictitious names were recorded as recipients of confidential funds, casting serious doubt on the validity of the OVP’s financial records.
“They were given and they received confidential funds,” he said.
Khonghun emphasized that as the trial progresses, more details about the questionable fund disbursements will be brought to light, allowing the public to grasp the magnitude of the alleged abuse. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab
