Speaker Dy: Impeachment proceedings vs VP Sara to proceed

The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte will proceed as scheduled, Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said Wednesday.

Dy issued the statement after the Supreme Court on Wednesday did not issue a temporary restraining order ahead of the resumption of the House justice committee hearing on April 14. However, the high court directed the House justice committee to respond to the consolidated petitions filed by Duterte and several lawyers. 

“The House of Representatives welcomes the Supreme Court’s non-issuance of a temporary restraining order. We have the highest respect for the Court and its processes, and we defer to its authority on matters properly brought before it,” Dy said.

“In the absence of any legal restraint, the House of Representatives will continue to discharge its constitutional mandate,” he added. 

In a separate statement, House justice panel member and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said, "There is no TRO vs. Duterte impeachment proceedings: See you on April 14."

In her petition for certiorari, the Vice President argued that the House justice panel’s proceedings are unconstitutional and that it has no power to conduct a trial.

Duterte stressed that allowing the House justice committee to undertake a trial and embark on a fishing expedition is to “allow them to circumvent the limits of their function and usurp the prerogatives of the impeachment court solely vested in the Senate.”

In addition, Duterte said that there are “no ultimate facts” alleged in the impeachment complaints and that this does not cover “legal conclusions or evidentiary facts.”

Dy assured the public that the House justice panel would proceed with the impeachment proceedings in accordance with the Constitution and the rules through a fair, orderly, and evidence-based process where all parties are given the opportunity to be heard.

"The proceedings are part of the constitutional process of accountability, guided by facts, evidence, and the rule of law. This reflects the proper balance among institutions, with each branch performing its role within the bounds of the Constitution,” Dy said. —VBL, GMA News