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MANILA, Philippines — The criminal case against Vice President Sara Duterte over alleged grave threats can proceed independently of any impeachment proceedings, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said, stressing that the two processes follow separate legal tracks.
In an interview after the first court setting of the grave threats case against Duterte, DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said an impeachment proceeding does not bar a parallel criminal trial.
“It does not mean that while the impeachment proceeding is ongoing, there will be no criminal proceeding,” he added, explaining why the state pushed forward with the indictment against the sitting vice president.
“The prosecution, of course, in filing it, believes that impeachment and the criminal proceeding are two different and distinct proceedings,” he added. “They run on separate tracks, towards separate purposes, and towards separate ends.”
