Sara Duterte's lawyers: Finding of probable cause on impeachment raps expected

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday said the House committee on justice’s finding of probable cause in the impeachment complaints against the official “was not unexpected” considering the direction of the proceedings. 

In a statement sent by Atty. Michael Poa, spokesperson for Duterte’s defense team, the Vice President’s lawyers maintained that the impeachment proceedings undertaken by the House panel deviated from constitutional design.

“The finding of probable cause by the House Committee on Justice was not unexpected, given the direction the proceedings had taken,” Duterte’s defense team said. 

“We respectfully maintain that the proceedings before the Committee departed from the constitutional design. Instead of confining itself to the verified complaints and their attachments, the process expanded into matters that properly belong to a full trial,” it added. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the House committee on justice, via unanimous vote, found probable cause to impeach Duterte based on two impeachment complaints filed against her.

House justice panel chairperson and Batangas Second District Rep. Gerville Luistro said no member of the panel registered an objection. 

A total of 53 members of the panel were present during the voting. —AOL, GMA News