(UPDATE) THE House Committee on Justice has formally invited Vice President Sara Duterte to a meeting on March 25 to discuss the ground rules on the impeachment complaints that she faces. In a letter to Duterte, committee chairman and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said the meeting will focus on the initial hearing of the impeachment cases filed by Fr. Joel Saballa and lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera. The meeting will also determine the lineup of resource speakers and witnesses to be invited to the first hearing scheduled for April 14. In an interview with Newswatch Plus, Luistro said Duterte’s presence during the hearings is “significant” since she needs to question the evidence of the complainants and provide basis for the committee in voting on the complaint. Luistro said if the vice president fails to attend, “she will not participate in the hearing proper. She will not rebut, she will not challenge, she will not refute the evidence of the complainant. Then the evidence of the complainant will stand.” Each member of the panel might also vote in favor of finding probable cause for the impeachment to proceed to the Senate, he said. “So it is really significant for the respondent to assess the importance of participating in the hearing proper because definitely, it will be her presence only which will pave [the] way toward the presentation of her evidence either by her alone or by her assisted by her lawyers,” Luistro said. Luistro also ruled out the possibility that bribes could influence the voting, as Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco had warned. “Regardless of all the comments or various comments of people in politics, we only have one commitment here at the Justice Committee. To make sure that we will be able to conduct an orderly, organized and fair impeachment proceeding to all the parties, the complainant, the witness and even the respondent,” Luistro said. On Friday, Duterte’s defense team spokesman Michael Poa confirmed having received the invitation from the committee. Poa has said there is “no requirement under the applicable rules” for Duterte to attend the proceedings. “Any decision in that regard will be made in accordance with her rights and upon the advice of counsel,” he said.