INAKUSAHAN noong Martes ng gabi ni Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry L. Ridon, chair ng House committee on public accounts, si Vice President Sara Z. Duterte ng panlilinlang sa Supreme Court (SC) at sa publiko sa pamamagitan ng petisyong inihain nito na naglalayong ipahinto ang nagpapatuloy na impeachment proceedings sa House committee on justice.

Sinabi ni Ridon, na miyembro rin ng House committee on justice, na ang petisyon ay nakabatay sa “misrepresentation of facts and a distorted interpretation of the Constitution and prevailing jurisprudence.”

“It is a clear attempt to mislead the Supreme Court and the public,” ani Ridon.

Pinabulaanan ni Ridon ang mga pahayag na hindi umano maayos na nai-refer ng Kamara de Representantes sa plenaryo ang mga reklamo sa impeachment.

“The official video footage of the February 23, 2026 plenary session, at 3:48 PM, clearly shows that the referral of the four impeachment complaints was carried out by the House of Representatives in plenary, in accordance with Section 3(2), Article XI of the Constitution,” saad ni Ridon.

“This was not merely an act of the Speaker or the Committee on Rules. It was an act of the House sitting as a collective body,” dagdag ni Ridon.

Tinanggihan din ni Ridon ang mga pahayag na kinakailangan ang paunang deliberasyon bago ang pagre-refer, at iginiit na walang ganitong mandato sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon, ng mga patakaran ng Kamara o ng umiiral na jurisprudence.

“There is no provision in the 1987 Constitution, the House Rules on Impeachment, or Gutierrez v. House of Representatives that mandates deliberation prior to referral,” pahayag ni Ridon.
“At most, Gutierrez states that deliberation may take place — it is not a mandatory requirement,” giit niya.

Binanggit din ni Ridon na sa naturang plenary session ay walang mambabatas na tumutol o humiling ng deliberasyon hinggil sa referral.

“More importantly, during that plenary session, no Member of the House moved to object to the referral or to initiate deliberation — not even allies, relatives, or close associates of the Vice President,” aniya.

Tinanggihan din ni Ridon ang mga alegasyon ng paglabag sa one-year bar rule, at binigyang-diin na iisa lamang ang wastong referral na naganap.

“The One-Year Bar applies only after a valid referral of an impeachment complaint,” pahayag niya.

“Public records clearly show that only one referral of the impeachment complaints to the House Committee on Justice took place, notwithstanding the setting aside of the Castro complaint and the withdrawal of the Dee complaint,” aniya pa.

Dagdag pa ni Ridon, sinusuportahan ng jurisprudence ang prosesong isinagawa ng komite.

“Even Duterte v. House recognizes that it is the process within the Committee on Justice that determines which complaints proceed and which are dismissed,” saad ni Ridon.

“Accordingly, there is no violation of the One-Year Bar. The contrary claim in the petition is a misapplication of both the Constitution and jurisprudence,” dagdag niya.

Tungkol naman sa due process, sinabi ni Ridon na nananatiling matibay at nakabatay sa batas ang mga hakbang ng komite.

“The authority of the House Committee on Justice to conduct hearings, issue subpoenas, and gather evidence is firmly grounded in the Constitution, the House Rules on Impeachment, and established jurisprudence, including Duterte v. House,” aniya.

“The Constitution does not require that all evidence be attached at the time of filing. The hearing process itself exists precisely to uncover the truth,” saad pa niya.

Sa kabila ng petisyon, sinabi ni Ridon na ipagpapatuloy ng Kamara ang mandato nito sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon.

“In the face of these misrepresentations, Congress and the House Committee on Justice will continue to discharge their constitutional duty to hold the Vice President accountable for issues involving confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and threats against the President,” pahayag niya.

Idinagdag pa niya na inaasahang may mga dokumento at testimonya pang lalabas sa mga susunod na araw.

“In the coming days, documents from the Ombudsman, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Securities and Exchange Commission will be submitted. These will be presented to the public next week, on April 14. Witness testimony, including that of Ramil Madriaga, will also be heard,” ani Ridon.

“We are now in the middle of a constitutional process of accountability. We will continue the proceedings until the very end,” aniya pa.

“Enough of the deception. Enough of the falsehoods. It is time to face the truth,” giit ni Ridon.