Impeachment Hearings Set by House Justice Committee After Finding 2 Complaints Sufficient in Grounds
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – Committee on Justice chairperson Gerville Luistro clarified that the impeachment hearing will push through despite the absence of VP Sara. Duterte.
Four (4) impeachment complaints were filed against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte before the House’s Office of the Secretary General in February. Out of these impeachment raps, two (2) were deemed sufficient in form and substance by the Justice panel.
The first impeachment complaint filed against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was set aside for violating the one-year ban rule. To recall, the impeachment trial of the Vice President in the Senate previously did not push through after the Supreme Court declared the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional.
The Senate archived the previous impeachment rap against Duterte following the ruling of the Supreme Court. It was only in February this year when the ban was lifted.
Amid the impeachment issue, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is represented by her legal team which is composed of 16 lawyers. They are from the law firm Fortun Narvasa & SalazarGregorio 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
The second impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte was filed by the group Tindig Pilipinas. However, the complainants voluntarily withdrew the impeachment rap and decided to support the third impeachment complaint filed against Duterte.
Here are the grounds raised under the third impeachment rap 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 House Committee on Justice found the third and the fourth impeachment complaints filed against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte as sufficient in form, substance, and grounds. The hearings have been set and a hearing is scheduled today.
However, Atty. Michael Poa, the lawyer of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, already informed the House Justice panel that the Vice President will skip the hearing. It is in light of their constitutional objections.
Recently, House Justice panel chairperson Gerville Luistro confirmed that they have been advised that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will not attend the hearing. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, she clarified that the hearing will push through.
The House Committee on Justice has also invited the complainants behind the impeachment raps to the hearing. Based on the report, Luistro stressed that the absence of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will mean that there will be no evidence presented to refute the accusations of the complainants.
“They are questioning the constitutionality of the proceedings, but the Committee on Justice is duty-bound to continue with its mandate under the Constitution,” the House member said.
Previously, the lawyer of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte pointed out that her personal attendance to the hearing is ‘not required’.