The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte said it is prepared to defend her before the Senate acting as an impeachment court following her second impeachment by the House of Representatives.
According to the legal team, the responsibility now lies with the accusers to prove their allegations after the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted by the plenary.
The camp said the process should follow the provisions of the Constitution and the rules of evidence during the Senate trial.
Despite pending petitions filed before the Supreme Court, Duterte’s lawyers said they are ready to present the vice president’s defense before the impeachment court.
The House of Representatives voted 257 affirmative, 29 negative and nine abstentions in favor of impeaching Duterte.
The vote marked the second time the vice president was impeached by the House during the 19th and 20th Congress.
Duterte’s camp maintained that the burden of proof rests on the complainants once the impeachment proceedings move to the Senate.
The Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court to hear the case and determine whether the allegations against Duterte will merit conviction.
No further details about the timeline of the Senate proceedings were immediately announced.
The impeachment proceedings against Duterte continue to draw national attention as lawmakers and legal observers monitor the constitutional process.
Her legal team has not yet disclosed specific defense strategies but reiterated readiness to answer the allegations before the Senate tribunal.
