MANILA — The Palace on Wednesday maintained that Vice President Sara Duterte is solely responsible for her decision not to attend the ongoing impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Vice President’s absence reflects her own discretion, particularly on whether to directly address allegations tied to accountability and transparency.
“Choice niya po iyan. Kung ayaw niya pong ipakita sa taumbayan ang katotohanan at iyong isyu about accountability and transparency, iyan po ay hindi niya ipinakikita sa taumbayan ngayon,” Castro said.
The House initiated hearings on Tuesday to deliberate on the impeachment complaints lodged against Duterte.
For her part, Duterte earlier criticized the proceedings, saying political tools like impeachment are being used for maneuvering rather than genuine accountability.
During the hearing, Ramil Madriaga, who identified himself as an aide of the Duterte camp, admitted he had acted as a “dummy” in certain bank transactions under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
ia/xf
