MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte is firing back at her critics and demanding the Senate dismiss the latest impeachment complaint against her, denouncing it as unconstitutional.

In a legal maneuver late Monday afternoon, Duterte’s camp filed a 35-page response ad cautelam — Latin for “with caution” — arguing the fourth impeachment complaint lodged against her breaks the 1987 Constitution’s “one-year bar” rule.

“Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, by counsel, without waiving any jurisdictional and/or other objections she has to this case and the Fourth Impeachment Complaint, respectfully states: the fourth impeachment complaint must be dismissed because it is void ab initio for violating the One-Year Bar Rule under Section 3 (5) Article XI of the 1987 Constitution,” part of the reply read.

The filing was delivered to the Senate Office of the Secretary at exactly 5:49 p.m. by a messenger from the law firm Fortun, Narvasa & Salazar, which is representing the embattled VP. The House of Representatives also received a copy.

The fourth impeachment complaint — the most explosive yet — was filed back in February and backed by more than 200 lawmakers. It accuses Duterte of graft, betrayal of public trust, and high crimes, including:
● Misusing over PHP612 million ($10.4 million) in confidential funds
● Alleged bribery of education officials
● Failing to declare wealth in her asset statements
● Publicly revealing an alleged assassination plot targeting President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez
● Supposed links to extrajudicial killings tied to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte

The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, gave Duterte a non-extendible 10-day window starting June 11 to respond. The deadline was Monday, June 23.

Filing Intended to “comply with precaution”

Her legal team’s cautious filing was intended to comply with the deadline — while still making clear they believe the entire case should be thrown out immediately.

“They’re filing it with precaution. Yun naman ang latin equivalent of the ad cautelam,” Senate Secretary and Clerk of Court Renato Bantug, Jr. said. “Meaning they’re filing the pleading with caution.”

“Maybe in their minds they like to reserve some arguments but in compliance with the order of the court, nag-file sila ng mga answer but they’re expressing that they’re doing so with precaution, they’re doing so with caution,” he continued.

Bantug added that he would not speculate on the defense lawyers’ reasons for filing the answer with caution.

The House prosecutors now have five days to reply. With June 28 falling on a Saturday, their deadline extends to Monday, June 30.

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