House Justice Panel Finds Impeachment Raps vs. VP Sara Duterte Sufficient in Substance
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President is given 10 days to answer to the impeachment complaints filed against her before the House of Representatives’ Secretary General’s Office.
Four (4) impeachment raps were filed against Vice Pres. Duterte before the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives. The first impeachment complaint against Duterte was ‘set aside’ by the House for violating the one-year rule ban.
Tindig Pilipinas withdrew the second impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Duterte and threw their support to the third impeach rap against the Vice President. In the third impeachment complaint, the following grounds were raised against Duterte:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
The camp of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that they expected the filing of impeachment complaints against the Vice President. Duterte previously shared that she has already talked with her legal team even before a fresh impeachment rap was filed against her.
The House Justice panel found the two (2) impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as sufficient in substance. The complainants behind the said impeachment raps were Fr. Bong Saballa, amonh others, and lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera.
Fifty-four solons voted in the affirmative over the sufficiency of the substance of the impeachment raps against the Vice President. Quezon City Representative Bong Suntay who became controversial for his remarks was the sole member of the lower chamber who voted in the negative side.
Based on a report on PhilStar, the House of Representatives has served an impeachment notice to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. The Vice President is given 10 days to submit her comments.
“Failure on your part to file the Verified Answer within the period herein provided shall be deemed a waiver of your right to file the same, and you shall be considered to have interposed a general denial to the allegations contained in the Impeachment Complaints,” the notice sent to Duterte.
Following the submission of the response of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, a hearing of probable cause is expected to transpire to lead the complaints to a House vote. Copies of the impeachment raps were enclosed in the notice sent to the Vice President.
Based on the report, House Justice committee chairperson Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro said the period given for Vice Pres. Sara Duterte to submit her comment is “non-extendable”.
Previously, Senator JV Ejercito spoke his side on the “constitutional duty” of the senator judges if an impeachment complaint is referred to the Senate.