A congressman-endorser of one of the two active impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte in unfazed by the mounting number of Supreme Court (SC) petitions against the proceedings.

“Hindi kami naaapektuhan ng mga petisyon. Tuloy ang proseso hangga’t walang utos na pumipigil dito (These petitions don't affect is. The process will continue as long as there is no order to stop it)," House Deputy Speaker La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V said on Sunday, April 12.

“The committee remains unperturbed. We will proceed based on the Constitution, the rules, and the evidence before us,” Ortega said, referring to House Committee on Justice. The panel is now at the stage of determining probable cause in the impeachment complaints.

In the past two weeks, the Vice President’s legal team as well as her supporters have filed at least three petitions before the Supreme Court (SC) asking it to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the impeachment proceedings.

The petitions have questioned the constitutionality of the justice panel's hearings as well as cited its alleged overreach on terms of its issuance of subpoenas to certain personalities and agencies.

Ortega noted that while the filing of petitions was a legal remedy, it did not in itself suspend congressional proceedings, particularly in the absence of a TRO.

“Petitions do not stop us. What governs us is the Constitution—and we are following it,” he said.

“The House is simply discharging its duty—nothing more, nothing less,” reckoned Ortega, who added that the justice panel will hold its next hearing on April 14 and focus on evidence and clarificatory discussions

He also stressed that the proceedings provide Vice President Duterte the opportunity to directly address the allegations against her.

“Ito na ang pagkakataon para maipresenta ang kanyang panig. Kung sinasabi niyang inosente siya, narito ang tamang forum para patunayan iyon (This is the chance to present her side. If he claims he is innocent, here is the proper forum to prove it)."

Ortega, along with Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante, endorsed the Nathaniel Cabrera complaint against Vice President Duterte.

The other active complaint was the Father Joel Saballa et al complaint, which was endorsed by Senior Deputy Minority Leader Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima.

Meanwhile, a Committee on Justice member, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno, argued that the panel's move to subpoena documents, including Duterte's statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) was a necessary step and not an overreach.

“Lahat ng mga naisyu na subpoena ng Committee on Justice ay nakabatay dun sa mga alegasyon ng mga complaint na nasuri na namin at nasabi na sufficient in form and substance,” Diokno said in a radio interview.

(All subpoenas issued by the Committee on Justice are based on the allegations in the complaints we reviewed and found sufficient in form and substance.)

“Kaya nga namin pinalabas ang subpoena para malaman kung ito ba ay totoo, kung mga genuine ba ‘yung mga dokumento (That’s why we released the subpoenas—to determine if these are true, if the documents are genuine)," added the lawyer-solon.

Among other allegations, Duterte has been accused of amassing alleged unexplained or ill-gotten wealth, as well as failing to fully and accurately disclose assets in her SALNs—claims that the committee is now seeking to verify through official records.

Aside from SALNs, the committee has also issued subpoenas for other financial documents, including income tax returns from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), corporate filings from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and related records.