Julia Christine Botin

House: Ball is now on Senate, VP Duterte impeachment complaint has been returned

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MANILA (UPDATED) — House spokesperson Princess Abante said Thursday that the lower chamber did its duty in sending the Article of Impeachment to the Senate and should not be blamed for delays in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.&quot;Nasa kapangyarihan na po ng Senado ang susunod na hakbang. Kung may pagkaantala, hindi ito galing sa House,&quot; she said.(The next step is up to the Senate. If there are any delays, that is not on the House)She also disputed claims that the House rejected an alleged Entry of Appearance from the camp of Duterte.She said a courier tried to deliver a document to the gate of the Batasan Pambansa complex on June 16.&quot;Ngunit hindi malinaw kung saan ito galing at kung anong klaseng dokumento ito. Walang cover letter, walang pormal na paliwanag. Kaya’t hindi ito agad tinanggap—hindi dahil tinanggihan, kundi dahil kailangang malinawan muna ang layunin at tamang pagproseso,&quot; she said.(But it was not clear who it was from and what the document was. There was no cover letter or formal explanation, that&#x27;s why it was not accepted. We did not reject it but the purpose and process for the document should be clear)She said the supposed Entry of Appearance should have been clearly labeled.Abante, a lawyer, said the Entry of Appearance is not a requirement for the proceedings to continue and that the document was not accepted should not be cause for delay.She urged Senate spokesperson Reginald Tongol not to mislead the public and not use a clerical detail as a reason to shift the blame to the House, adding it is a minor matter being blown out of proportion as if there was malicious intent.&quot;Huwag po nating gawing teleserye ang isang seryosong proseso. Ang impeachment ay hindi tungkol sa pa-victim o paandar—ito ay tungkol sa katotohanan, pananagutan, at hustisya,&quot; she said.(Let&#x27;s not turn this serious process into a TV series. Impeachment is not about gimmicks or playing the victim — it is about the truth, accountability, and justice)<div>&#x27;UNUSUAL&#x27;</div>The spokesperson for the House prosecution team in Vice President Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial meanwhile criticized the Senate&#x27;s orders regarding the case on Thursday.Antonio Bucoy, a human rights lawyer, said it was &quot;unusual&quot; that the Senate imposed two conditions on the House, which he said is supposedly &quot;a co-equal branch.&quot;&quot;You don&#x27;t do that kaya meron tayong (that&#x27;s why we have) interparliamentary courtesy,&quot; he said.The Senate last week remanded or returned the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/10/senate-returns-sara-duterte-impeachment-to-house-insists-case-not-junked-2111">to clarify legal issues and asked the incoming 20th Congress</a> to signify it still wants to pursue the impeachment case.&quot;The impeachment court does not have the authority to remand. The Constitution says they should proceed to trial forthwith, and their power is to try and decide,&quot; he said.The House last week nevertheless <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/11/house-certifies-impeachment-of-vp-duterte-complied-with-constitution-2053">approved a resolution certifying that the impeachment complaint did not violate</a> the Constitution.Bucoy however said they could not formally file the certification before the impeachment court because the Senate impeachment court &quot;imposed another condition, which cannot be complied with now. So, the option is to file separately or file them together.&quot;&quot;We are weighing options now, we want clarification,&quot; he added.Bucoy also said that the House &quot;in all likelihood&quot; would comply with the impeachment court&#x27;s second demand because not complying &quot;will put up another blockade from moving forward.&quot;<div>SENATE SPOX RESPONSE</div>Tongol, spokesperson for the Senate impeachment court, blasted on Wednesday the House of Representatives for criticizing the court instead of complying with orders.&quot;This is the first time I have seen litigants question the court,&quot; Tongol told a press conference.He said the impeachment court is still waiting for certification from the House that it did not violate the Constitution when it impeached Duterte.Tongol said legal questions could be avoided if the House complies with the order of the impeachment court. <div>—Rowegie Abanto, ABS-CBN News; with reports from Victoria Tulad and Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News</div>

House spokesperson Princess Abante said Thursday that the lower chamber did its duty in sending the Article of Impeachment to the Senate and should not be blamed for delays in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

House spokesperson Princess Abante said Thursday that the lower chamber did its duty in sending the Article of Impeachment to the Senate and should not be blamed for delays in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

House: Ball is with Senate on VP Duterte impeachment trial

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House: Ball is with Senate on VP Duterte impeachment trial

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 19, 2025 02:20 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 19, 2025 09:03 PM PHT

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