The Manila Times
(UPDATE) THE House of Representatives’ prosecution team in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte deemed it “unnecessary” to reply to Duterte’s answer to the charges she faces. “Under the applicable rules, the allegations and defenses in the Answer are deemed controverted even without a Reply. More fundamentally, the Answer raises no material factual issue that requires a responsive pleading. It does not meaningfully engage the factual allegations in the Articles of Impeachment, but instead concentrates on procedural, jurisdictional, and constitutional objections directed against the continuation of the proceedings,” the prosecution said in a manifestation filed on Monday before the Senate impeachment court. The prosecution, which said in the manifestation that it would not file a reply, said that in substance, “the Answer does not function as a genuine response to the charges.” The House, voting 257-25 with nine abstentions, impeached Duterte on May 11 over alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth allegedly amassed, alleged bribery, and remarks to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte said the impeachment articles were constitutionally infirm, procedurally defective, and substantively deficient. She had earlier denied the allegations in the two impeachment complaints heard by the House Committee on Justice, which found probable cause to impeach her. The Senate on May 18 convened as an impeachment court and ordered Duterte to submit a reply to the articles of impeachment. Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, lead impeachment prosecutor, said on Monday she expects the 11 prosecutors to appear before the impeachment court for the first day of pre-trial conference, and on July 6 for the trial’s first hearing. Luistro said the deadline for filing the pre-trial brief is June 15. Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, one of the prosecutors, said the House was acknowledging the leadership of Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian. Last June 3, senators voted to declare all Senate posts vacant and elected Gatchalian Senate president pro tempore.
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