ASEANEWS HEADLINE-VP Du30 IMPEACHMENT | MANILA: Sara camp on impeach archiving: Work not over
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VP Duterte camp acknowledges the Senate’s vote to archive the impeachment… | GMA Integrated News
.WATCH: VP Sara Duterte’s camp acknowledges the Senate’s vote to archive the impeachment complaint. Atty. Michael Poa says it’s too early to declare victory, with a motion for reconsideration still pending before the Supreme Court. | via Nico Waje/GMA Integrated News
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MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case is not yet over since the Supreme Court (SC) has yet to decide on the motion for reconsideration filed by the House of Representatives, according to her defense team.
Nineteen of 24 senators voted on Wednesday to archive the rticles of Impeachment against Duterte, which include graft and corruption charges.
If the high court reverses its decision finding the impeachment complaint unconstitutional, senators may vote to revive the case.
“Our focus is to comment on the arguments in the motion for reconsideration,” Michael Poa, spokesman for Duterte’s 16-member defense team, told dzBB yesterday.
Duterte is ready to face allegations of misuse of confidential funds, Poa maintained.
“The Vice President already said that she is ready to respond at the right time,” he said. “As part of the defense team, it is our position that it should be done in the proper forum, through the proper legal channels and processes, and the allegations should be backed up by proper evidence.”
The defense team, he said, has been preparing for the case since February.
Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto and Senators Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino voted against the motion to archive. Sen. Panfilo Lacson abstained.
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The exact whereabouts of the Vice President remain unknown, although Poa and her spokesperson Ruth Castelo asserted the Vice President is in the Philippines.
Castelo maintained that Duterte is still running the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
“She may not be here physically. We don’t see her, but the work for the office is still being done. Although sometimes, virtual. Sometimes, ghost,” she said.
Duterte has been traveling abroad to lead campaigns calling for her father’s release from detention in The Hague.
“I don’t know (her exact location), but definitely she is in the Philippines. Since I’m no longer connected with the OVP, I cannot say exactly her schedule and her exact location was not disclosed for security reasons. But definitely she is in the Philippines and we talked,” Poa said.
Castelo did not confirm whether Duterte’s trip to Kuwait, where she would be leading the “free Duterte” campaign, will push through today.
After returning from South Korea on July 28, Castelo said the Vice President visited Marinduque to oversee disaster relief operations.
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No further details had been provided about her exact location since then.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said Duterte has yet to file a provisional travel authority.
Duterte denied Castro’s claim, saying it was misinformation meant to divert the public’s attention away from the Senate’s decision.
The Vice President reiterated that she wants a “bloodbath” as she seeks for all facts and evidence to be laid bare.
While it may not yet be the time for that “bloodbath,” Duterte said she is preparing for it, as it may happen between 2026 and 202
Response to appeal
Meanwhile, petitioners questioning the constitutionality of the impeachment complaint against Duterte said they will comply with the SC’s order directing them to comment on the House’s appeal.
“The law firm of Torreon and partners, on behalf of other petitioners, is also preparing its compliance with the SC’s order for comment within the allotted 10-day period,” lawyer Luna Acosta said.
Dead or alive?
Is the impeachment complaint dead or alive in the archives? Depends on who you ask.
After Wednesday’s lengthy debate, senators are now debating whether it was even “killed” in the first place and if it can still be brought to life.
For Sen. Imee Marcos, the complaint is as good as “dead.”
“Yes, it’s dead. But it’s not really buried. It’s dead in effect because it’s in the archive,” Marcos said at the Kapihan sa Senado forum yesterday.
“Archiving a complaint is like making it a dead file, unless something happens to revive it. It has the effect of being dismissed, but still having a chance, if the SC overturns its decision, which will be a miracle and highly unlikely, to my mind,” she added.
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Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said the impeachment case “can still be revived if the SC reconsiders its decision.”
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said archiving the case just added another hurdle to holding the trial.
Waking it up from the archives lies with the people demanding accountability from the government, she stressed.
Thanks legal team
At yesterday’s lunch with her legal team, Duterte thanked the lawyers who crafted the petition that paved the way for the SC to declare unconstitutional the impeachment case against her.
Led by lawyer Israelito Torreon, the defense team had lunch with the Vice President at the Boiling Post restaurant in Davao City.
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Martin Delgra, lawyer of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, also attended the lunch.
“The Vice President was so thankful and happy with our petition and the SC ruling,” Torreon told The STAR.
After lunch, the Vice President attended a mass at San Pedro Cathedral as part of the Kadayawan Festival. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Edith Regalado, Diana Lhyd Suelto
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