MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution panel on Friday countered Vice President Sara Duterte’s statements in her answer ad cautelam (with caution), saying that she made “several misleading and false material statements” in her pleading.
The prosecution made its 37-page formal observations and sent it to the impeachment court at 1:38 p.m. on June 27.
This document serves as the prosecution’s official response to Duterte’s answer ad cautelam, which she filed on June 23.
The country’s second top leader sought the dismissal of the impeachment complaint against her, calling it “void ab initio” or invalid from the outset.
“On June 23, 2025, the Prosecutors received a copy of respondent Duterte’s Answer Ad Cautelam,” the document reads.
“Rule VII of the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials provides that the prosecutors may Reply within a non-extendible period of five days from receipt of the Answer Ad Cautelam,” it noted.
“This Reply is timely filed. At the onset, it must be pointed out that in the Answer Ad Cautelam, respondent Duterte had made several misleading and false material statements,” the House prosecutors told the impeachment court.
In a press conference on Friday, House prosecution panel spokesperson Antonio Bucoy explained why they countered the claims that Duterte made in her pleading.
Bucoy said Duterte’s answer ad cautelam was not only full of falsehoods but also “misconceptions” and ”general denial” — which,...
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