Sara Duterte's office confirms receipt of Senate summons

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte's office confirmed on Wednesday, June 11, that it has received the writ of summons issued by the Senate impeachment court.

"The Office of the Vice President confirms receipt of the summons issued by the Senate Impeachment Court at around 11:05 AM today," the OVP said in a brief statement.

The Senate sergeant-at-arms served the writ of summons at Duterte's office in Mandaluyong City. 

The summons directs Duterte to submit her official response to the articles of impeachment within a non-extendible period of 10 days.  

According to Article 7 of the Senate's rules of procedure on impeachment trials, the issuance of the summons to the impeached person follows the presentation of articles of impeachment and the organization of the Senate as an impeachment court.

The House prosecutors will then submit their response to Duterte within five days.

Senator-judges were sworn in as court judges during Tuesday's plenary session. 

A motion by staunch Duterte ally Sen. Ronald dela Rosa failed to dismiss the case before the court convened yesterday was shot down. But the senator-judges eventually voted to return the impeachment articles to the House due to concerns with their constitutionality, plunging the impeachment trial into uncertainty.