The committee report declaring probable cause in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte will be sponsored in the House plenary on Monday, May 4, during the resumption of session following the six-week summer recess.
Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, chairperson of the House Committee on Justice, is expected to deliver the sponsorship speech for the report which seeks Duterte’s second impeachment.
The plenary session is scheduled for 3 p.m. Monday.
Earlier that day, at 10 a.m., the justice panel will convene to adopt its committee report, along with the corresponding resolution and articles of impeachment.
These will then be transmitted to the plenary for consideration by the 318-member House.
“This committee has completed its constitutional duty to determine probable cause based on the evidence presented,” Luistro said in a statement Sunday, May 3.
At the center of the report are findings on several allegations against Duterte: the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and threats to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Lawmakers cited evidence that Duterte allegedly misused ₱612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds, including testimony that ₱125 million was disbursed within 24 hours, contradicting earlier claims.
Duterte’s potential impeachment in 2026 will be triggered by the adoption of the committee report and articles of impeachment through a one-third vote in the House plenary.
However, a vote is not expected Monday, as lawmakers will need time to review the panel’s submissions.
Luistro expressed confidence in the strength of the case: “We are dealing with official records—hindi opinyon, hindi haka-haka. These are numbers, documents, and sworn testimonies that, taken together, establish a pattern that demands accountability.”
She stressed that the committee’s work reflects a careful, evidence-based process.
“This is not about politics. This is about the Constitution, about evidence, and about our duty to uphold public accountability. The House will now act as one body on this matter,” she said.
On Feb. 5, 2025, Vice President Duterte was impeached by House members via the constitutional “fast track” mode.
The Supreme Court later declared the case unconstitutional on a technicality. No Philippine official has ever been impeached twice.
Halfway there
Meanwhile, Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a prospective prosecutor in the case, believes the one-third House vote—106 out of 318—will be easy to achieve.
He noted that lawmakers are already halfway there, based on the committee vote on probable cause. “‘Yung boto ng probable cause 53 votes na po ‘yun. So ang kailangan lang naman po namin 106 votes to impeach,” Ridon said.
Out of more than 300 House members, Ridon said reaching the required threshold is well within reach. “I’m quite certain in the next two weeks, magkakaroon na po ng debate sa plenaryo patungkol po sa impeachment ni Vice President Sara Duterte,” he added.
So far, discussions on the impeachment case have been confined to the justice panel, where only members and ex-officio members can participate.
