Supreme Court Asked to Halt Sara Duterte's Impeachment Proceedings

A group of 29 lawyers, including Israelito Torreon and former transportation chief Martin Delgra, petitioned the Supreme Court to halt the impeachment proceedings against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing that the complaints against her were rushed and violated due process. They claim the impeachment process, initiated by the House of Representatives on February 5, was procedurally flawed, lacking proper verification and deliberation. The petitioners contend that many House members were unaware of the complaint details during a sudden caucus, which raises questions about the legitimacy of their signatures. Additionally, they assert that previous impeachment complaints against Duterte were ignored, which they believe was a tactic to bypass the constitutional one-year bar rule. Torreon emphasized that the Vice President was not given an opportunity to respond to the allegations before the complaint was filed. The group is seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the impending Senate trial, which is set to begin this summer, alleging that the entire process is politically motivated and aimed at disqualifying Duterte from future elections.