House Moves Forward with Impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte

Manila: The House of Representatives on Wednesday impeached Vice President Sara Duterte and immediately transmitted the complaint to the Senate, with over 200 lawmakers supporting the move. According to Philippines News Agency, during the plenary session, Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed that 215 members of the House had verified and sworn their support for the fourth impeachment complaint. House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe highlighted that the number of endorsers surpassed the one-third threshold required under the Constitution and House rules on impeachment proceedings. Dalipe stated, "Mr. Speaker, for the record, in consonance with the Constitution on Article 11 on accountability of public officers, particularly Section 3, paragraph 4, and pursuant to Section 14, Rule 4 of the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, which provides as follows: endorsement of the complaint resolution to the Senate." He further moved for the immediate endorsement of the complaint to the Senate, a motion approved by Speaker Martin Romualdez. With the plenary's approval, the impeachment complaint has been officially transmitted to the Senate, where the trial will be conducted. The House leadership also decided to archive three other impeachment complaints filed against Duterte last December. The impeachment complaint against Duterte includes six major allegations of violations of the 1987 Constitution, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and other laws. One severe accusation involves an alleged plot to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Romualdez, with evidence presented of Duterte's public admissions regarding hiring an assassin for top government leaders. Duterte is also accused of misusing PHP612.5 million in confidential funds during her tenure as vice president and Department of Education (DepEd) secretary. Investigators discovered questionable disbursements and ghost transactions involving fictitious beneficiaries and unauthorized individua ls, constituting technical malversation and corruption. Additional accusations include bribery and financial manipulation within the DepEd, with evidence pointing to Duterte's approval of monetary gifts and bribes to officials involved in procurement and bidding processes. Further scrutiny of Duterte's Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) revealed unexplained wealth and income, violating constitutional requirements for asset disclosure. Duterte's alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings through the Davao Death Squad and acts aimed at destabilizing the government, including boycotting the State of the Nation Address and leading rallies against President Marcos Jr., have also been cited in the impeachment complaint. A two-thirds vote by the Senate is required to convict and remove Duterte from office, potentially barring her from holding any public office in the future. Senators have indicated that plenary action is needed before proceeding with the impeachment trial, with discussions suggesting it will be addressed after the midterm elections in May.