House impeachment spokesperson Atty. Antonio Audie Bucoy has strongly criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent “not guilty” plea, calling it a mere general denial lacking substance and legal merit.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, June 27, Bucoy responded to the Vice President’s motion filed on June 23, which asked the Senate to dismiss the fourth impeachment complaint against her, citing its supposed illegality.
According to Bucoy, Duterte’s response failed to directly address the factual allegations outlined in the complaint. “She did not respond to the specific accusations. She just said, ‘That’s not true,’” he remarked. Bucoy emphasized that in legal proceedings, a general denial without clear justification is often viewed as an admission.
“Under the law, if you do not specifically deny the allegations and state the reasons for your denial, that is interpreted as an admission. That is exactly what we see here,” Bucoy added.
He went on to list key issues Duterte allegedly did not refute. “She did not deny attempting to suppress the release of Commission on Audit (COA) documents. She also did not deny that a significant amount of confidential and intelligence funds were spent in a very short time,” Bucoy explained.
Bucoy further asserted that Duterte ignored allegations concerning questionable liquidation documents. “We said those documents were fake, that the persons listed were fictitious. She didn’t address that; she merely said, ‘It’s not true,’” he said.
These, Bucoy claimed, are sufficient grounds for the House Prosecution Panel to continue pursuing the case in the Senate.
Vice President Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, following the endorsement of roughly 215 lawmakers. Despite this, the case remains pending in the Senate. Recently, the Articles of Impeachment were returned to the House for certification, reportedly to confirm that no constitutional rules were violated.
Nevertheless, the House Prosecution Panel maintains that the impeachment case against Duterte is still “active” and “alive,” vowing to pursue the proceedings once the Senate resumes hearings.
As the Senate prepares to take further action, all eyes remain on how the Vice President will substantively address the specific allegations laid out against her.