MANILA — The House of Representatives is expecting impeached Vice President Sara Duterte to provide a detailed response to the impeachment charges against her, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega of La Union said Tuesday.

“We are hoping to receive an answer, not a motion to dismiss,” Ortega said in a statement.

Ortega issued the remark as the 10-calendar-day non-extendible period given by the Senate impeachment court for the Vice President to respond to the charges nears its June 1 deadline.

After this period, the House prosecution panel is required to submit its comments within five calendar days, which is also non-extendible.

The deputy speaker described any motion to dismiss or request for the Senate impeachment court to await a Supreme Court ruling on related issues as a “dilatory tactic” by Duterte and her legal team.

“It will just be a waste of time. We do not think the Senate impeachment court, which has so far acted forthwith on the impeachment case, will allow it,” he said.

Ortega urged Duterte to respond to the charges, saying she had previously declined to appear in House impeachment proceedings.

“She consistently refused to show up in the House impeachment proceedings. She waited for more than a year since last year’s impeachment process for her trial to take place and to present her answer. She should seize this opportunity so the people can finally hear from her,” he added.

The impeachment complaints against the Vice President include allegations of unexplained wealth, failure to declare assets in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), assassination threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, as well as graft, corruption, bribery involving Department of Education officials, and alleged misuse of public funds.

House prosecutors earlier said they have strong evidence, including a report from the Anti-Money Laundering Council covering financial transactions of Duterte and her husband from her time as Davao City vice mayor up to 2024.