Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178089490761820241125-duterte-sara-hor-hearing-MT-2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice-President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on November 25, 2024, while the hearing on alleged irregularities in the use of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education is suspended. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em><br/></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE) </strong>— Instead of a &quot;reply,&quot; the 11-member House prosecution panel on Monday filed a manifestation before the Senate Impeachment Court, stating that it “deems unnecessary to file a Reply” to Vice President Sara Duterte’s answer to the Articles of Impeachment.</p><p>The five-page manifestation was brought to the Senate by House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil, and was received by Senate Secretary <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/5/house-prosecutors-recognize-gatchalian-as-impeachment-trial-officer-luistro-says-1312">Renato Bantug Jr.,</a> who signed as Clerk of the Impeachment Court.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/7/house-prosecutors-to-file-manifestation-not-reply-on-vp-sara-s-non-answer-1559">House prosecutors to file manifestation, not reply, on VP Sara’s ‘non-answer’</a></div><p>In their manifestation, the prosecution said it deems it “unnecessary to file a Reply” to Duterte’s Answer, saying “it does not meaningfully engage the factual allegations in the Articles of Impeachment, but instead concentrates on procedural, jurisdictional, and constitutional objections directed against the continuation of the proceedings.”</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FabscbnNEWS%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02zYUbjUVF2uic5b6RabRiU5YPCkt32kpY9AyXcNB4gsD5FfSSC1PwmFf3XsgbCkRnl&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="717" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>It stressed that Duterte made “general denials” on the alleged impeachable offenses, but offered “no coherent factual narrative that directly refutes the charges” in the Articles.</p><p>“In view of the foregoing, the Prosecution shall dispense with the filing of a Reply. The issues are now properly joined under the applicable rules, and no useful purpose will be served by any further exchange of pleadings. At this stage, further paper submissions serve only to delay what the Constitution already requires: the immediate commencement of the trial,” the prosecution stressed.</p><p>Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, one of the House prosecutors, earlier said the filing by Duterte&#x27;s lawyers did not respond point by point to the charges against her.</p><p>The position follows the prosecution panel’s earlier assessment that Duterte’s filing was a “non-answer” because it repeated procedural objections instead of giving direct responses and counter-evidence to the allegations.</p><p>Ridon said the prosecution panel is still preparing for the pre-trial proceedings in June and the start of trial on July 6, in accordance with the timeline set by the Senate Impeachment Court.</p><div><br/></div><div><em></em><strong>REL</strong><strong>ATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W7CNwBKSLXY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><strong></strong><em><strong></strong></em><br/></div>

<p>The House prosecution filed a manifestation before the Senate Impeachment Court on Monday, stating that it “deems unnecessary to file a Reply” to Vice President Sara Duterte’s answer to the Articles of Impeachment.</p>

The House prosecution filed a manifestation before the Senate Impeachment Court on Monday, stating that it “deems unnecessary to file a Reply” to Vice President Sara Duterte’s answer to the Articles of Impeachment.

Prosecution says ‘unnecessary’ to reply to Duterte’s ‘unresponsive’ answer to impeachment

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Prosecution says ‘unnecessary’ to reply to Duterte’s ‘unresponsive’ answer to impeachment

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 08, 2026 01:04 PM PHT

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Updated June 08, 2026 02:24 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

House prosecutors

impeachment

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