Following the Deliberations, House Justice Panel Finds VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Complaints “Sufficient in Grounds”
The House Justice Panel is authorized to continue with its proceedings over the impeachment raps against Vice President Sara Duterte even if the Congress will be on recess.
Last Monday, March 16, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, through her counsels, submitted her answer to the impeachment complaints filed against her before the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives. Two (2) impeachment raps against Duterte were found sufficient in form and substance by the House Justice Committee.
The House Justice panel set aside the first impeachment rap against Duterte for violating the one year rule ban. With regards to the second impeachment rap against the Vice President, Tindig Pilipinas withdrew their complaints and gave their support to the third impeachment complaint against Duterte.
According to the complainants, the decision is in the pursuit of avoiding procedural delays. Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima is one of the House members who endorsed the withdrawn impeachment rap.
The third impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was filed by the members of the religious sector. The following grounds were raised in the said impeachment rap:
- 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 House Justice panel found the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as sufficient in grounds. The committee has also set the initial dates for the hearing proper.
March 25, April 14, April 22, and April 29 are the initial dates for the hearing proper of the House Justice panel on the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Based on a report on PhilStar, the committee is authorized to continue with its proceedings even if the Congress will be on recess from March 21 to May 3.
The authorization is granted through the House Resolution No. 892 which was co-authored by House Speaker Bojie Dy, Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Congressman Sandro Marcos, and Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan.
Based on the report, when asked if the impeachment raps against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will be automatically dismissed if she resigns, House Justice panel chair and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro claimed that the proceedings must still go on as “penalty of perpetual disqualification must be resolved as well”.
Previously, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte slammed some House members over the possible issuance of a subpoena on the tax and business records of her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio.