House Finds Impeachment Complaints vs. VP Sara Duterte Sufficient in Grounds
SARA DUTERTE – Manila 3rd district Representative Joel Chua claimed that the next hearing for the impeachment complaint may be aired live.
The Justice Committee of the House of Representatives recently found the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Duterte as sufficient in grounds. Two out of four impeachment raps against the Vice President passed the scrutiny on its substance and form.
The impeachment raps that went through the scrutiny of the House Justice panel over its form, substance, and grounds were the 3rd and 4th one to be filed. The first impeachment rap was set aside by the committee over the one year rule ban.
The complainants of the second impeachment rap, the Tindig Pilipinas, witdrew their complaint and decided to support the third impeachment complaint filed by the members of the religious sector and lawyers against the Vice President.
According to Tindig Pilipinas, they are avoiding delays in the legal proceedings so they decided to withdraw their complaint and supported the third impeachment rap against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Here are the grounds raised under the said complaint:
- 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 is authorized to continue with the legal proceedings on the impeachment case of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte despite that the Congress is on recess. The Congressional recess is from March 21 to May 3.
With the continued legal proceedings, the House Justice Committee has set the initial hearing dates for the impeachment rap against Duterte on March 25, April 14, April 22, and April 29. The legal team of the Vice President is composed of the following:
- Gregorio Narvasa II
- Carlo Joaquin Narvasa
- Justin Nicol Gular
- David Ronell Golla VII
- Lindon Miguel Bacquel
- Karol Grace Oroceo
- Clarlaine Radoc
- Francesca Marie Flores
- Miguel Carlos Fernandez
- Michael Wesley Poa
- Reynold Munsayac
- Mark Vinluan
- Ralph Bodota
- Roberto Batungbacal
Based on a report PhilStar, Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua claimed that the next hearing on the impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte may allegedly be aired live in full. According to him, the committee stage is no longer limited to screen pleadings and procedural issues.
Furthermore, the solon also claimed that the House proceedings can now be a venue for the presentation of the factual basis of the impeachment rap in the earlier stage. Based on the report, it goes contrary to the previous expectations that the evidence are largely presented when the complaint reaches the Senate impeachment trial.
The Vice President has yet to issue a statement on the recent decisions of the House over the impeachment raps against her. According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s legal team, they might advise her to skip the hearing on March 25.