INQToday: Spox says remand of impeachment articles ‘action of liberality’

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Impeachment court spox: Remand of articles vs Duterte ‘action of liberality’

The impeachment court’s decision to remand the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives is not flawed, Impeachment Court Spokesperson Atty. Reginald Tongol argued on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in an online interview, Tongol said the decision reached by senator-judges to return the document to the lower chamber was an action of liberality.

Impeachment court has power to issue contempt orders, says spox

The Senate impeachment court has the power to issue a contempt order to any party that disrespects and defies the court.

This was according to Impeachment Court Spokesperson Atty. Reginald Tongol who disclosed the matter to reporters in an online interview on Friday.

Palace brushes off Sara Duterte’s poll fraud claim

“Wish lang nila ‘yun. Libre naman ang mangarap.” (That’s just their wish. Dreaming is free, after all.)

This was the response of Palace Press Officer Claire Castro to Vice President Sara Duterte’s call for Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) bets to question the results of the 2025 senatorial elections, claiming that fraud had been committed.

Sotto says senator-judges can’t make motions: ‘Aral-aral muna bago putak!’

The late Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago told her colleagues that senator-judges, during an impeachment trial, cannot make motions and may only ask for clarifications, former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said on Friday.

In a message to reporters, Sotto said the Senate’s decision to remand the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives, based on a motion raised by a senator-judge, was “flawed,” as only the defense and prosecution are allowed to file motions.

Sara Duterte hopes Apollo Quiboloy’s cases will be resolved soon

Vice President Sara Duterte said she hopes the criminal charges faced by Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy will be resolved as soon as possible.

In an ambush interview in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Thursday, Duterte said she visited Quiboloy at Pasig City Jail before flying to The Hague, Netherlands, to see her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) detention facility.