HOUSE Committee on Public Accounts chair Terry L. Ridon of Bicol Saro Party-list on Tuesday night accused Vice President Sara Duterte of misleading both the Supreme Court (SC) and the public through her petition seeking to halt the ongoing impeachment proceedings before the House Committee on Justice.
Ridon, a member of the House Committee on Justice, said the petition “is anchored on a misrepresentation of facts and a distorted interpretation of the Constitution and prevailing jurisprudence.”
“It is a clear attempt to mislead the Supreme Court and the public,” Ridon said.
Ridon disputed claims that the impeachment complaints were not properly referred by the House in plenary.
“The official video footage of the February 23, 2026 plenary session, at 3:48 PM, clearly shows that the referral of the four impeachment complaints was carried out by the House of Representatives in plenary, in accordance with Section 3(2), Article XI of the Constitution,” Ridon said.
“This was not merely an act of the Speaker or the Committee on Rules. It was an act of the House sitting as a collective body,” Ridon said.
He also rejected assertions that prior deliberation was required before referral, saying no such mandate exists under the Constitution, House rules or jurisprudence.
“There is no provision in the 1987 Constitution, the House Rules on Impeachment, or Gutierrez v. House of Representatives that mandates deliberation prior to referral,” Ridon said.
“At most, Gutierrez states that deliberation may take place—it is not a mandatory requirement,”
Ridon said.
He noted that during the plenary session, no lawmaker raised objections or sought deliberation on the referral.
“More importantly, during that plenary session, no Member of the House moved to object to the referral or to initiate deliberation—not even allies, relatives, or close associates of the Vice President,” he said.
Ridon likewise dismissed allegations of a violation of the one-year bar rule, stressing that only one valid referral was made.
“The One-Year Bar applies only after a valid referral of an impeachment complaint,” he said.
“Public records clearly show that only one referral of the impeachment complaints to the House Committee on Justice took place, notwithstanding the setting aside of the Castro complaint and the withdrawal of the Dee complaint.”
He added that jurisprudence supports the process undertaken by the committee.
“Even Duterte v. House recognizes that it is the process within the Committee on Justice that determines which complaints proceed and which are dismissed,” Ridon said.
“Accordingly, there is no violation of the One-Year Bar. The contrary claim in the petition is a misapplication of both the Constitution and jurisprudence,” Ridon said.
On due process, Ridon said the committee’s actions remain firmly grounded in law.
“The authority of the House Committee on Justice to conduct hearings, issue subpoenas, and gather evidence is firmly grounded in the Constitution, the House Rules on Impeachment, and established jurisprudence, including Duterte v. House,” he said.
“The Constitution does not require that all evidence be attached at the time of filing. The hearing process itself exists precisely to uncover the truth,” Ridon said.
Despite the petition, Ridon said the House will continue its constitutional mandate.
“In the face of these misrepresentations, Congress and the House Committee on Justice will continue to discharge their constitutional duty to hold the Vice President accountable for issues involving confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and threats against the President,” he said.
He added that more documents and testimonies are expected in the coming days.
“In the coming days, documents from the Ombudsman, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Securities and Exchange Commission will be submitted. These will be presented to the public next week, on April 14. Witness testimony, including that of Ramil Madriaga, will also be heard,” Ridon said.
“We are now in the middle of a constitutional process of accountability. We will continue the proceedings until the very end,” Ridon said.
“Enough of the deception. Enough of the falsehoods. It is time to face the truth,” Ridon said.
