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Members of the House Committee on Justice cast their vote in approving the report confirming the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday. (Courtesy: Congress PIO)
The House Committee on Justice on Monday approved the impeachment of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, with all 55 members present expressing support for the committee report and its transmission to the plenary for deliberation and voting.
The panel adopted the committee report, along with the resolution and Articles of Impeachment, after finding probable cause against Duterte based on weeks of hearings and documentary evidence.
Deputy Speaker David Suarez of Quezon moved for the approval of the report, which was duly seconded. “Again, I move for the approval of the Committee Report, the attached resolution setting forth the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President, Sara Z. Duterte, as amended.”
In its report, the committee “respectfully recommends the adoption” by the House plenary of the resolution setting forth the Articles of Impeachment, together with its findings and conclusions on the allegations against Duterte.
“Let it be placed on the record that 55, out of 55 Justice members physically present, manifested their support to the approval of the Committee Report, to the attached resolution setting forth the Articles of Impeachment, as amended. The Chair therefore declares the motion unanimously approved,” House Committee on Justice Chair Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas said.
The report consolidates two verified complaints and outlines multiple grounds for impeachment, including culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.
Lawmakers traced the case to four complaints filed in early February, including those lodged by former lawmaker Francisca “France” Castro and civil society leader Francis Joseph Aquino Dee, as well as later complaints filed by priest Joel Saballa and lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera.
The committee accepted the withdrawal of one complaint and set aside another for violating the one-year bar rule. It proceeded with the Saballa and Cabrera complaints, which were found “sufficient in form” and later “sufficient in substance” by a 54-1 vote.
On March 16, Duterte submitted a “Consolidated Verified Answer Ad Cautelam,” while complainants waived their right to reply, allowing the panel to proceed to the determination of grounds and probable cause.
By March 18, the committee “unanimously resolved both complaints in the affirmative, finding the existence of sufficient grounds for impeachment.”
Luistro said the panel had “seen the evidence” and “examined the evidence,” citing testimonies, audit findings, and financial records presented during the hearings.
The Articles of Impeachment accuse Duterte of:
- Misuse and irregular liquidation of confidential funds totaling at least ₱500 million in the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million in the Department of Education
- Amassing unexplained wealth and failing to fully disclose assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN)
- Bribery and corruption involving officials under her authority
- Contracting or soliciting acts of violence, including alleged threats against top government officials
- Acts of political destabilization and abuse of power
The report cites audit findings from the Commission on Audit, financial data flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and testimonies from officials and witnesses, including forensic document examiners and government auditors.
During the hearings, lawmakers were presented with testimony on large cash movements through informal channels; receipts and liquidation documents flagged as possibly fabricated, including findings of identical handwriting across multiple documents;
Certifications showing that some listed recipients do not exist in official records; audit findings ordering the refund of tens of millions of pesos and flagging hundreds of millions more for irregularities; and reports of billions of pesos in financial transactions linked to accounts under scrutiny.
Luistro said the committee also relied on Duterte’s sworn SALN filings as part of the evidentiary record, noting discrepancies between declared assets and financial data presented during the hearings.
The panel emphasized that it followed constitutional procedures, beginning with determinations of sufficiency in form and substance in early March before proceeding to hearings to establish probable cause.
It also disclosed that it opted not to open a sealed box of tax records submitted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, citing legal constraints and the view that existing evidence was sufficient at the committee level.
With the report approved, the case moves to the House plenary, where lawmakers will debate and vote on whether to adopt the Articles of Impeachment.
If at least one-third of all House members vote in favor, the Articles will be transmitted to the Senate, which will convene as an impeachment court. — Maricel Cruz
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