[Updated June 27, 2025, 8:03 p.m.]
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.
But the reply from the prosecution team directly confronted each of Duterte’s arguments, describing her legal tactics as a transparent attempt to delay or dismiss the proceedings rather than answer the charges.
“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.
Among the arguments countered by the prosecution team was Duterte’s earlier claim that the impeachment violated the “one-year bar rule” which prohibits the filing of multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official within one year.
In the reply sent to the impeachment court, prosecutors explained that the verified complaint signed by one-third of the House members was filed on February 5, 2025, and this was the only complaint “initiated” under the Constitution.
Similarly, in response to Duterte’s allegation that she was not given due process, the prosecutors emphasized that because the verified complaint was filed under Rule IV, it already constituted the Articles of Impeachment and did not require committee hearings or respondent participation at the House level.
The prosecution panel believes that Duterte relies on “misleading claims and baseless procedural objections,” saying that the only legal strategy of the defense was to have the case dismissed to avoid the impending trial.
The allegations raised by Duterte were likewise addressed by House prosecution panel spokesperson Antonio Bucoy.
‘General denial equates to admission’
In a press conference on Friday, 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, according to him, equates to admission.
“What’s a general denial? She did not answer the factual allegations. She just said that they’re not true, but the problem with general denial is you did not answer in particular. Because if you deny it, you should explain why,” said Bucoy in Filipino.
He then explained that under existing laws, a general denial equates to an admission of mistakes.
“She did not deny that there was an attempt to suppress documents from COA… She did not deny that the confidential funds were used in a short period of time. She did not deny the liquidation documents. Quietly, she just said that these are not true,” he later added.
‘Deny Duterte’s dismissal, proceed with trial’
In their formal answer, the panel urged the impeachment court to render a judgment of conviction, remove Duterte from office, and impose a penalty of perpetual disqualification.
With this, the prosecution wants Duterte’s dismissal plea denied.
“What we said was that the grounds she cited for dismissal are baseless. So it needs to be denied. There’s no basis for grounds of dismissal — the one-year ban rule, the claim that she was not accorded due process, or that the Senate is not a continuing body — these are all wrong. So it needs to be denied,” said Bucoy.
“The prosecution’s prayer is to deny the dismissal and to proceed to trial. That’s what we want and what our countrymen want: Take out the evidence of the prosecution and let Duterte lay down her evidence,” he added.
The Senate convened as an impeachment court on June 10 to decide on the motion made by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, which seeks to dismiss the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.
But hours after their deliberation, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano made a motion to amend his colleagues’ motion.
Cayetano’s motion sought to return the Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives, without dismissing or terminating the case, until such time that the following actions are done:
- The House of Representatives certifies the non-violation of Art. XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that “No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year,” including the circumstances on the filing of the first three (3) impeachment complaints.
- The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President. /apl/mr