Media outlets have recently published what is described as a letter from Rep. Diokno filed before the House Committee on Justice, seeking the issuance of subpoenas to obtain additional documents and records in connection with the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“This only reinforces what I have been saying all along. There is no sufficient evidence to warrant an impeachment case against me,” Duterte said in a statement furnished the DAILY STAR.
The finding of sufficiency in substance by the Committee on Justice presupposes that the allegations in the complaints are supported by evidence, she said.
The Committee cannot conduct an investigation to search for evidence to support accusations already made in the impeachment complaints. Doing so would amount to a third “fishing expedition” by the House of Representatives, the Vice President said.
The first was the budget hearing in 2024, remembered for the now infamous line, “Let’s stick to our plan.”
The second were the hearings conducted by the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which many will recall for the so-called “Mary Grace Piattos” attack.
Now we are witnessing yet another desperate attempt to search for evidence where none exists, Duterte said.
“Let me say this again for the nth time: The impeachment is a political attack designed to protect certain individuals and advance personal and foreign interests,” she said.
Among them are an official reportedly struggling with substance abuse, a congressman widely regarded as the mastermind of flood control funds and his associates who allegedly received maletas of cash, and a legislator openly positioning herself for a presidential run, Duterte said.
Even more disturbing is the treatment now being extended to Madriaga, an alleged kidnapper who fabricated an entire story. The request that he be given special treatment in the House of Representatives is a grave insult to the minor victim who was traumatized by his criminal acts, she said.
Meanwhile, communities around the world are scrambling to protect their citizens and find solutions to shocks in the energy and commodities sectors. Yet the Philippine House of Representatives and the Office of the President remain preoccupied with a political nemesis who refuses to kowtow to their corrupt ways, Duterte said.
“This is another insult. This time, it is directed at our OFWs, the poor, and the many Filipino families who may soon be pushed deeper into hardship as a result of war and its global consequences,” her statement added.*
