House Justice Committee To Take Impeachment Complaints vs. VP Sara Duterte to Plenary
SARA DUTERTE – Two (2) House leaders claimed that at least 180 lawmakers are allegedly voting to impeach the Vice President.
The House Committee on Justice unanimously voted to take the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Duterte to the plenary. The panel’s decision came after four (4) impeachment hearings were held — all of which were skipped by the Vice President.
The House found probable cause to impeach the Vice President. They prepared the committee report and it is expected that in the next days, the congressmen and congresswomen may be voting on their stand as to whether or not Duterte should be impeached.
There must be at least 1/3 votes to impeach an official. With the current number of solons in the House of Representatives. at least 106 votes is needed by the House Justice panel to impeach Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Some members of the committee have expressed their confidence that they will reach the number.
Recently, two (2) House leaders even claimed that there is allegedly at least 180 lawmakers who are voting to impeach Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as of now. Based on a report on Inquirer, in an interview with Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, the pro-impeachment bloc allegedly got 180 votes already.
“I think it’s a 180, that’s (sure) already. We have already, at the very least, 180 votes. So we’re looking at probably more than that,” he expressed.
Based on the report, when asked if the 200 votes is within the reach of the House Justice panel, Adiong said that it is possible. Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno who is the chairman of the National Unity Party (NUP) also believes that at least 180 solons will be voting for the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
“If you count Lakas, let’s say for example 60 of them.., with us in NUP it’s 30, and then let’s say Partido Federal, you know there are also 51 members, let’s say 30 of them will vote in favor, then that’s already 120. With NPC, they have 49 members, let’s say there will be 30 who agree, that’s 150, and then you have the party-list coalition which has 63 members… it will be a good number, more than people expected I would say you,” Puno said.
According to the House Justice panel, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte allegedly committed different impeachable offenses with the following:
- Systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to P500 million released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education (DepEd) during her term as Education Secretary;
- Amassing unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official;
- Failure to fully and truthfully disclose all her and her spouse’s assets, liabilities, and net worth in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth (SALNs) for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024;
- Failure to divest; and instead, willfully continued, all her business interests during her tenure as Vice President for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025;
- Giving monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws;
- Contracting the assassination of the President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, by making grave threats and by actively inciting sedition against the Republic.
Following the approval of the committee report, the House Justice panel wants Vice Pres. Sara Duterte not only impeached but also perpetually-banned from public office.
