Malacañang said no government official is exempt from accountability if they violate the law or abuse their authority, responding to a legal manifestation from Vice President Sara Duterte’s camp concerning the criminal cases filed against her.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said any impeachable official may be impeached if there are valid grounds. She added, however, that cases should not be based on fabricated evidence or paid witnesses.
Castro made the statement after Duterte’s legal team highlighted what it described as the broad implications of filing a criminal case against a sitting vice president.
She described the statement from Duterte’s camp as appearing to be another threat and said it was similar to a narrative that the vice president’s camp has repeatedly used.
Castro also urged Duterte to end what she described as this kind of culture and position.
Meanwhile, Duterte’s legal team is seeking oral arguments on her motion to quash in connection with the grave threats cases filed against her before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim, one of Duterte’s lawyers, said the defense filed a manifestation emphasizing the importance of oral arguments because of what it described as the broader implications of the cases.
Lim said the issue could have implications for other sitting officials who may be impeached.
According to Lim, if a sitting vice president can be charged and tried, other impeachable officials could also potentially face criminal cases.
He cited the Ombudsman, members of the Constitutional Commissions, Supreme Court justices and the president as examples of other impeachable officials.
Duterte’s camp maintains that the cases have broader implications beyond the vice president, while Malacañang emphasized that government officials remain accountable under the law when there are valid grounds for legal action.
