House panel preparing for April 14 impeachment hearing, readying reply to SC

The House Committee on Justice is getting ready for its April 14 hearing on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, while it also prepares its comment to the petitions filed before the Supreme Court to stop the proceedings.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the House of Representatives 10 days to comment on the Sara Duterte and Torreon et al. petitions, but did not issue a temporary restraining order as prayed for by the petitioners.

"As in the previous impeachment case last year, 2025, and also in other cases involving government institutions that need to be represented by the Office of the Solicitor General, that is the Office of the Solicitor General in coordination with, in consultation with, the House of Representatives," House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and ML Party-list Rep Leila de Lima said in an online interview on Thursday.

"We are fairly confident... All that the House Committee on Justice is doing is following the rules, following the Constitution and the rules," she added.

De Lima, who endorsed the Saballa et al. impeachment complaint against the vice president, said the filing of the petition could be a strategy by the vice president's defense team to draw the members of the House Committee on Justice away from the impeachment proceedings.

"Yes, hindi ito unexpected kasi nakikita na kaagad natin 'yan noong hindi niya pag-appear. And then remember yung supposed letter noong kanyang counsels to the committee through the chairperson na kinukuwestiyon na kaagad nila yung jurisdiction ng committee and yung hindi na naman pag-appear noong March 25, and then malamang hindi na naman mag-appear sa April 14," De Lima said.

"So ang kanilang talagang tack all along is really to prevent these proceedings from really proceeding, to go on. Dahil nga natatakot siguro. Ayaw nilang harapin, ayaw. Makikita na kaagad ng mga publiko kasi yung ano talaga yung mga punto ng mga complainants nung na-file nila yung complaint," she added.

(Yes, it's not unexpected because we can see that right away when he didn't appear. And then remember the supposed letter from his counsels to the committee through the chairperson, where they immediately questioned the jurisdiction of the committee and the fact that he didn't appear on March 25, and then he probably won't appear again on April 14. So their real tack all along is really to prevent these proceedings from really proceeding, to go on. Maybe because they're afraid. They don't want to face it, they don't want to. The public will see right away what the complainants' points really were when they filed the complaint.)

De Lima said that the vice president filed a petition before the Supreme Court because the Torreon et al petition does not have a firm legal standing.

Subpoenas for witnesses and pieces of documentary evidence have been issued by the committee for April 14.

The most recent subpoenas issued were for Vice President Duterte's lawyer Atty Michael Poa, who was also directed to submit to the committee documents submitted by the Department of Education to the Commission on Audit, and National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, who was also directed to submit records in connection with the NBI's investigation into the threats by the vice president against President Bongbong Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

De Lima welcomed the non-issuance of a TRO on the House committee's hearings.

"We are hoping that this time around, the Supreme Court will exercise judicial restraint," De Lima said.

The legislator believes the issue of the alleged misuse of confidential funds will be tackled first by the committee. And the first among the witnesses to face the committee would be Ramil Madriaga, who claimed to be the vice president's former aide and bagman.

A subpoena has been issued to Madriaga, who is detained on kidnapping charges, and his attendance has been allowed by the Manila Regional Trial Court.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Akbayan Party-list Rep Perci Cendaña is confident the House of Representatives will be able to address the issues raised by the vice president in her Supreme Court petition.

"This is definitely a small win kaya we welcome this as a positive development," Cendaña said.

Gabriela Women's Party Rep and House Committee on Justice member Sara Elago is hoping the Supreme Court will junk the petitions against the impeachment proceedings.

"Imbes na dito sumagot sa House Committee on Justice, siya ngayon ay tumatakbo sa Supreme Court. Dagdag ito na pagde-delay doon sa proseso sana ng accountability na matagal nang panawagan ng mamamayan," Elago said. 

(Instead of answering the House Committee on Justice, he is now running to the Supreme Court. This is further delaying the accountability process that the people have been calling for for a long time.) –NB, GMA News