The House of Representatives on Saturday confirmed that it has complied with the Supreme Court’s directive to submit additional information on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, reiterating that it followed the Constitution at every stage of the process.
House spokesperson Atty. Princess Abante said the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), as the House’s legal counsel, has electronically filed the required compliance through the Philippine Judiciary Portal and served all parties.
A physical copy will be formally submitted to the high tribunal on Monday, she added.
“The House of Representatives, through its counsel, the Office of the Solicitor General, filed Friday its compliance to the Supreme Court’s directive to provide information on the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte,” Abante said.
In its submission, the House maintained that all four impeachment complaints were processed in full accordance with constitutional mandates.
Abante explained that the three initial complaints were included in the Order of Business within the 10-session-day period prescribed by the Constitution.
“The fourth complaint, signed and verified by more than one-third of House Members, effectively constituted the Articles of Impeachment and was transmitted directly to the Senate, rendering the earlier complaints moot and subject to archiving,” she pointed out.
The Articles of Impeachment, endorsed by 215 House members and overwhelmingly approved by the plenary last February, accuse Vice President Duterte of graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.
The charges cite, among others, her alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President during her concurrent tenure as Education Secretary, her defiance of congressional oversight, and her failure to uphold civilian supremacy over the police and military.
Abante also reaffirmed that Vice President Duterte’s rights remain protected under the impeachment process.
“We reiterate that the Vice President’s right to due process is fully preserved through the impeachment trial itself—where she will have the opportunity to defend herself and present evidence,” she said.
The House’s compliance filing further asserted its exclusive authority over internal deliberative matters, anchored on the principle of separation of powers.
“In the Compliance, the House also emphasized that, with the utmost respect for the Supreme Court, it was asserting its exclusive authority over its internal deliberative functions, an authority grounded on the fundamental principle of separation of powers and the legislature’s status as a co-equal branch of government,” Abante noted.
“There is no constitutional requirement detailing how individual members must review the complaint before signing, nor is there any basis for questioning their certification under oath that they studied and understood the charges and supporting documents,” she added.
Abante stressed that the House remains committed to constitutional fidelity and institutional integrity.
“The House remains committed to transparency, constitutional fidelity, and upholding the rule of law. We trust that the Supreme Court will accord the same deference to the prerogatives of a co-equal branch of government as enshrined in our democratic framework,” Abante said.
The Supreme Court earlier required both the Senate and the House to provide sworn information and documents on how the complaints were handled, including questions about timelines, procedures and member participation.
The impeachment trial in the Senate has yet to begin
