Manila, Philippines — Impeachment complainants and several social movements have expressed support for the House prosecution team’s decision to drop three of the four impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte, leaving only Article II regarding unexplained wealth.
In a joint statement, filers of the first and third impeachment complaints and other groups described the move as a strategic decision to focus on the remaining evidence and resolve the impeachment trial without further delays.
“This is neither an abandonment of accountability nor an erasure of the allegations. Neither does it foreclose the pursuit of justice through other lawful processes. In fact, two of the dropped charges are already being pursued through other legal avenues,” it said.
The complainants said a plunder complaint over the alleged misuse of confidential funds has been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, while a grave threats case is pending before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
They also rejected the defense’s claim that dropping the charges violated due process.
“We reject the drama of Sara’s lawyers that the dropping of the three articles constitutes a denial of due process. The defense was offered the opportunity to alternate its presentation of evidence with the prosecution for each article but rejected the proposal,” they emphasized.
“The House prosecution simply exercised its prerogative to narrow the case it intends to pursue, and the Senate impeachment court accepted that decision,” they added.
According to the groups, narrowing the case is necessary to prevent further delays and ensure a timely resolution.
“We will remain vigilant throughout the impeachment proceedings and continue to hold all those involved accountable. We will see this process through and continue to pursue accountability through every lawful means available,” they promised.