The House committee on justice pressed forward Tuesday, March 3, with its review of the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, trimming the cases under consideration to two from the original four.
What remains are the petition endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima and another backed by Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega and Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr..
A day earlier, the panel found both complaints sufficient in form — meaning they complied with procedural requirements — and cleared them for the more decisive test of substance.
Lawmakers will now determine whether the allegations are backed by clearly stated facts that constitute impeachable offenses.
If at least one complaint passes this threshold, Duterte will be formally furnished a copy and asked to respond.
If both fall short, the impeachment effort stalls, effectively triggering the Constitution’s one-year bar against another complaint.
The accusations cited in the revived push echo earlier claims: alleged misuse of confidential funds, supposed bribery involving education officials, questions over unexplained wealth, and reported threats directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.
Duterte has issued sweeping denials of the charges but has yet to address them individually.
Two other complaints dropped out of the process on Monday.
The panel set aside the petition endorsed by Makabayan, saying it was filed before February 6 — the date earlier identified by the Supreme Court as the end of the one-year impeachment prohibition.
Meanwhile, Tindig Pilipinas withdrew its complaint, saying it sought to prevent further delays in the proceedings.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.