Manila, March 19 -- House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro on Thursday said Vice President Sara Duterte's absence from the next phase of impeachment proceedings could leave the allegations against her unchallenged and hasten the case's transmission to the Senate.
Luistro said the panel's finding that the third and fourth impeachment complaints were sufficient in grounds was driven largely by the respondent's failure to directly answer the allegations.
The process, she said, is crucial for Duterte because it gives her camp the chance to answer the charges before the case reaches the House plenary and possibly the Senate, which will serve as the impeachment court.
"If their position is not to participate, then...