House prosecutors ask Senate: Junk VP Sara's bid to dismiss impeach raps

The House of Representatives prosecution panel asked Friday the Senate impeachment court to reject Vice President Sara Duterte's bid to dismiss the impeachment case against her, saying the severity of the charges require no less than a full and transparent trial and her conviction.

The prosecution panel made the assertion in its response to Duterte's answer ad cautelam, wherein she called the verified impeachment complaint against her a mere "scrap of paper."

Lawyer Regie Tongol, spokesperson of the Senate impeachment court, confirmed receipt of the House prosecutors reply at 1:38 p.m. Friday.

The House Prosecution Panel has filed its reply to VP Duterte’s Answer ad Cautelam with the Impeachment Court on June 27, 2025. (Photo by Tina Panganiban-Perez)

Prosecutors said the articles of impeachment against Duterte "are thoroughly drafted and contains sufficient allegations and evidence justifying a full-blown trial."

In addition, prosecutors said the House of Representatives is not required to hold committee hearings with respondent Duterte's participation if it initiates impeachment by direct resolution of at least one-third of all of its members, which was met by the House in this case since over 200 lawmakers endorsed the impeachment complaint.

"The Honorable Impeachment Court should reject respondent Duterte's desire for a dismissal without trial. A trial is not only warranted but necessary to reinforce justice… and affirm that no individual–regardless of rank or influence–stands above the law," the House prosecution panel said.

It also branded as "false" Duterte's claims that there are no articles of impeachment currently with the Senate impeachment tribunal since it ordered the return of the same to the House.

"The Honorable Impeachment Court should ignore respondent's claims that are tantamount to a motion to dismiss, including her prayer to resolve her affirmative defenses, and proceed to trial as directed by the plain text and meaning of the Constitution. These Articles of Impeachment highlight respondent Duterte's unfitness for public office. The gravity of the allegations and the public leave no room for technical evasion," the panel added.

"Wherefore, it is respectfully prayed that the Honorable Impeachment Court proceed to trial, render a judgment of conviction against respondent Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, decree her removal from the Office of the Vice President, and order her perpetual disqualification from holding any public office in the Republic of the Philippines," it said. 

Duterte is accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly over alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and for threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza and his Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte, among others.

The Vice President has denied the allegations.

Scrap of paper

In a separate press conference, House prosecution panel spokesperson Atty. Antonio Audie Bucoy said the Vice President’s defense is a mere general denial which should not hold water before the Senate impeachment court.

"She said the articles [of Impeachment] are mere scraps of paper, but the scrap of paper is her answer. Iyong sinagot niya, walang halaga (Her answer does not have value)," Bucoy said.

“She did not answer the factual allegations. She just denied them. When you deny something, you explain why. You say that is not true because this is what really happened. But she did not say that [in her ad cautelam answer],” Bucoy added.

Bucoy said that the Vice President did not dispute that the Office of the Vice President spent P125 million worth of confidential fund in 11 days in 2022, her chief of staff’s alleged attempt to block the release of audit documents, and the use of fictitious names in liquidation reports submitted to state auditors, among others.

Bloodbath to 'bubble bath'

"From bloodbath, it turned out to be a bubble bath," Bucoy said, referring to the Vice President's previous remark that she was looking forward to her impeachment trial because she wants a bloodbath.

Bucoy said the prosecution is confident that the Senate impeachment court will find the impeachment case constitutionally compliant, given that the number of endorsers of the impeachment complaint were more than one-third of House members as provided for by the Constitution for the impeachment trial to proceed "forthwith."

“Our complaint is constitutionally compliant. So the worst that can happen is for the Constitution to be ignored [by the Senate impeachment court],” Bucoy said.

Asked what would be the prosecution’s move in the event that the Senate impeachment court voted to dismiss the impeachment case against the Vice President outright, Bucoy said the House prosecution panel will have remedies—including seeking redress with the Supreme Court. 

“If they (Senate impeachment court) do that (dismiss outright), we cannot stop that from happening. But we will question it before the Supreme Court,” Bucoy added. 

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said the Senate impeachment court will only allow the presentation of evidence against the Vice President once the Senate court finds the complaint constitutional. — VDV, GMA Integrated News