Palace shrugs off Sara Duterte legal team's confidence on impeachment case

''Kung iyon po iyong estratehiya nila, hayaan po natin.''

This was the response of Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on the statement of Vice President Sara Duterte that her legal team is more than confident that they will win the impeachment case filed against her.

Castro stressed that Malacañang had nothing to do with the impeachment trial.

Duterte did not elaborate on the preparations being done by her lawyers in connection with the impending impeachment trial, but confirmed that she met with them upon arrival in the Philippines after her weeks-long stay in the Netherlands.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption and other high crimes.

In response, Duterte has filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition with urgent application of temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction before the Supreme Court.

She asserted that the House committed grave abuse of discretion by "deliberately" freezing action on the first three impeachment complaints, then violated the constitutionally mandated one-year ban when the fourth complaint was signed by the chamber's majority.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero had said the decision on the impeachment trial of the Vice President can be rendered by October this year.

The commencement of her impeachment trial at the Senate is scheduled by the end of July.—AOL, GMA Integrated News