VP Sara’s camp preparing compliance for impeachment court's summons

Vice President Sara Duterte said that her lawyers are now preparing her compliance for the summons issued by the Senate impeachment court against her.

“Napag-usapan namin ‘yan ng ating mga defense counsels at pinag-uusapan na nila ngayon kung paano nila gagawin ‘yung pag-comply sa summons ng Senate,” Duterte said in an ambush interview in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where she attended the 127th Independence Day celebration with members of the Filipino community. 

(We discussed that with our defense counsels, and they are now talking about how they will comply with the Senate’s summons.)

The Vice President has a non-extendable period of 10 days to answer the articles of impeachment after the Senate Sergeant-At-Arms served the writ of summons for her at her office in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Senate has voted to return to the House of Representatives the articles of impeachment against Duterte without dismissing or terminating them.

The senators asked the House to certify the non-violation of the one-year ban on impeachment complaints and sought assurance from the 20th Congress that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint.

In response, the House of Representatives deferred the acceptance of the articles of impeachment while they are seeking clarification from the Senate impeachment court on its requests.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint against her. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. —VAL, GMA Integrated News