MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte said that her impeachment case suffers from jurisdictional issues, especially if it moves over from the 19th to the 20th Congress.
In her last press briefing at The Hague in The Netherlands on Tuesday afternoon (local time) before returning to the Philippines, Duterte said that her impeachment complaint had lapses that could violate the Constitution.
“Hindi ko nasusundan. Pero ang pagkakaintindi ko ay madaming procedural lapses na nangyari na labag sa Constitution, (I did not follow it, but I understand that there are so many procedural lapses in the Constitution), ” Duterte said.
She also said that she and her lawyers would challenge the carryover of her case from the 19th to the 20th Congress.
She called Senate President Francis Escudero “fearless” after he repeatedly refused to tackle the articles of impeachment which the House of Representatives submitted to the Senate while Congress was on recess.
Meanwhile, Duterte did not mince words on the appointment of Gen. Nicolas Torre 3rd as Philippine National Police chief, saying that his appointment won’t be good for the country, likening him to a “House Speaker who is implicated in a bribery case in the United States,” which she did not name.
“In the same way na mayroong recent findings ang Senate of violations of law of this police officer, so, bakit mo naman gagawing Chief of Police? So, masyadong sketchy yung decision, (In the same way there are recent findings by the Senate of violations of law of this officer, so why are we making him the Chief of police? The decision is too sketchy),” Duterte said.
Duterte is expected to fly back to Manila by June 4
