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Advocates Philippines
Ridon Says QC Court Ruling Clears Path For VP Sara Impeachment Vote
Photo credit: Congress PH
House Committee on Public Accounts chair Terry Ridon said a Quezon City court’s dismissal of lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio’s petition has removed what he described as an obstacle to the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte ahead of the expected House plenary vote on Monday.
Ridon, who is also a member of the House Committee on Justice, said the case filed by Duterte’s husband had no legal basis and only disrupted the impeachment process.
“Tama lang na binasura ang kaso ni Mans Carpio ng QC RTC: walang batayan ang kaso at panggulo lang sa kabuuang proseso sa pagpapanagot sa Pangalawang Pangulo,” Ridon said.
The lawmaker also stressed that income tax returns and related tax documents can be treated as public documents during constitutional proceedings such as impeachment cases.
“Public document ang ITRs at iba pang tax documents, at hindi subject ng confidentiality at privacy kung nakasalang sa mga constitutional at investigative proceedings katulad ng impeachment,” he said.
“Sa pagkakabasura ng kasong ito, panahon na para tutukan ang botohan ng impeachment sa darating na Lunes,” he added.
The remarks came after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court dismissed Carpio’s petition seeking to stop the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.
In a five-page order dated May 6, Presiding Judge Madonna Echiverri ruled that the court had no jurisdiction over the case and denied Carpio’s request for a writ of preliminary injunction.
“The petition for prohibition is DISMISSED for lack of jurisdiction. The prayer for issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction is DENIED,” the court stated.
Carpio had asked the court to stop the House Committee on Justice from enforcing subpoenas and continuing proceedings related to the impeachment complaints, particularly after the panel sought tax records and financial documents allegedly connected to Duterte and her husband.
However, the RTC ruled that the House panel was exercising powers granted under the Constitution and could not be restrained through injunction or prohibition.
“Respondents do not usurp but are in fact, as members of HCOJ are, by law, constituted to determine the sufficiency of the impeachment complaint against the Vice-President and eventually the determination of probable cause for the filing of the case to the Senate,” the order stated.
The court cited Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, which gives the House of Representatives the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases.
It also upheld the subpoena powers of the House justice panel, saying compulsory processes are part of the committee’s authority during impeachment proceedings.
“Thus, the issuance of the subpoena duces tecum ad testificandum is an inherent power of the Committee, which is validly created by law, to carry out this constitutional mandate effectively in the conduct of its hearing,” the ruling said.
The RTC further rejected Carpio’s claim that the House panel had no authority over him or documents allegedly linked to him and the vice president.
“Prohibition issues only against usurpers or those who exercise power which have not been vested by law,” the court added.
The ruling also stated that injunctions cannot be used to block lawmakers from carrying out constitutional duties tied to impeachment proceedings.
“To enjoin the public individuals in the performance of their duty in the determination of the sufficiency of the impeachment complaint is to prevent said body to exercise its quasi-judicial or ministerial functions,” the order read.
The court also denied Carpio’s request for judicial notice over news reports and YouTube videos connected to the House hearings, saying newspaper reports are considered “hearsay evidence, twice removed.”
In another portion of the decision, the RTC said the petition should have been filed before the Supreme Court of the Philippines since the respondents were members of a co-equal branch of government.
The court ruling came after the House Committee on Justice unanimously found probable cause in the impeachment complaints against Duterte and approved the Articles of Impeachment for plenary voting on May 11.
Ridon, who is also a member of the House Committee on Justice, said the case filed by Duterte’s husband had no legal basis and only disrupted the impeachment process.
“Tama lang na binasura ang kaso ni Mans Carpio ng QC RTC: walang batayan ang kaso at panggulo lang sa kabuuang proseso sa pagpapanagot sa Pangalawang Pangulo,” Ridon said.
The lawmaker also stressed that income tax returns and related tax documents can be treated as public documents during constitutional proceedings such as impeachment cases.
“Public document ang ITRs at iba pang tax documents, at hindi subject ng confidentiality at privacy kung nakasalang sa mga constitutional at investigative proceedings katulad ng impeachment,” he said.
“Sa pagkakabasura ng kasong ito, panahon na para tutukan ang botohan ng impeachment sa darating na Lunes,” he added.
The remarks came after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court dismissed Carpio’s petition seeking to stop the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.
In a five-page order dated May 6, Presiding Judge Madonna Echiverri ruled that the court had no jurisdiction over the case and denied Carpio’s request for a writ of preliminary injunction.
“The petition for prohibition is DISMISSED for lack of jurisdiction. The prayer for issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction is DENIED,” the court stated.
Carpio had asked the court to stop the House Committee on Justice from enforcing subpoenas and continuing proceedings related to the impeachment complaints, particularly after the panel sought tax records and financial documents allegedly connected to Duterte and her husband.
However, the RTC ruled that the House panel was exercising powers granted under the Constitution and could not be restrained through injunction or prohibition.
“Respondents do not usurp but are in fact, as members of HCOJ are, by law, constituted to determine the sufficiency of the impeachment complaint against the Vice-President and eventually the determination of probable cause for the filing of the case to the Senate,” the order stated.
The court cited Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, which gives the House of Representatives the exclusive power to initiate impeachment cases.
It also upheld the subpoena powers of the House justice panel, saying compulsory processes are part of the committee’s authority during impeachment proceedings.
“Thus, the issuance of the subpoena duces tecum ad testificandum is an inherent power of the Committee, which is validly created by law, to carry out this constitutional mandate effectively in the conduct of its hearing,” the ruling said.
The RTC further rejected Carpio’s claim that the House panel had no authority over him or documents allegedly linked to him and the vice president.
“Prohibition issues only against usurpers or those who exercise power which have not been vested by law,” the court added.
The ruling also stated that injunctions cannot be used to block lawmakers from carrying out constitutional duties tied to impeachment proceedings.
“To enjoin the public individuals in the performance of their duty in the determination of the sufficiency of the impeachment complaint is to prevent said body to exercise its quasi-judicial or ministerial functions,” the order read.
The court also denied Carpio’s request for judicial notice over news reports and YouTube videos connected to the House hearings, saying newspaper reports are considered “hearsay evidence, twice removed.”
In another portion of the decision, the RTC said the petition should have been filed before the Supreme Court of the Philippines since the respondents were members of a co-equal branch of government.
The court ruling came after the House Committee on Justice unanimously found probable cause in the impeachment complaints against Duterte and approved the Articles of Impeachment for plenary voting on May 11.
May 7, 2026
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