Vice President Sara Duterte asserted Wednesday that the House of Representatives cannot compel people to participate in the legislative process, saying that such right is protected by the Constitution.
Duterte announced she will once again skip the House budget deliberation for the Office of the Vice President (OVP), stressing that “inquiries should not be adversarial nor prosecutorial and should recognize the right of persons to refuse to participate in the crafting of laws.”
“In fact, the invitation of the Committee itself lacks any clear legislative objective or contemplated legislation that is expected as an outcome of the deliberations,” Duterte stated in a letter addressed to Rep. Joel Chua, chairperson of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
According to Duterte, the use of terms such as “inquiry” and “investigation,” as well as “persons” and “witnesses,” are improperly used interchangeably in the House rules.
The Vice President reiterated her argument that those appearing in the hearings should be referred to as “persons” rather than “witnesses,” as lawmaking is not a judicial process.
Duterte further stressed that the issue regarding the utilization of the previous budget, specifically the 2022 confidential fund, is currently under review by the Supreme Court and therefore “should not be discussed before the House of Representatives.”
She cited the rule of sub judice, which restricts comments and discussions related to ongoing judicial proceedings, arguing that engaging in such debates could potentially violate this principle.
“Speaking or commenting on the matter may directly or indirectly impede, obstruct or degrade the administration of justice. The OVP has been filing its Comments in response to the various petitions filed before the Supreme Court,” the letter concluded.
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