The House Committee on Justice unanimously approved before noon on Monday, May 4, its committee report and articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The justice committee’s output—expected to be endorsed to the plenary later in the afternoon session—was approved via a 55-0 vote during a hearing presided over by panel chairperson Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro.
Monday’s hearing capped the committee’s series of exhaustive impeachment proceedings, which reached their climax on April 29 when it declared the presence of probable cause in the two impeachment complaints against Duterte.
The Luistro panel also approved the articles of impeachment against the Vice President, concluding that the evidence on record meets the constitutional threshold to proceed to plenary.
In its report, the committee “respectfully recommends the adoption” of the resolution setting forth the articles of impeachment, along with its findings and conclusions on the allegations against Duterte.
“Let it be placed on the record that 55, out of 55 Justice members physically present, manifested their support for the approval of the committee report and the attached resolution setting forth the articles of impeachment, as amended. The chair therefore declares the motion unanimously approved,” Luistro said afterward.
The report consolidates two verified complaints against Duterte this year and outlines multiple grounds for impeachment, including culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.
On March 16, the Duterte camp submitted a “Consolidated Verified Answer Ad Cautelam” to the committee.
However, the complainants waived their right to reply and allowed the panel to proceed with the determination of grounds and probable cause.
By March 18, the committee “unanimously resolved both complaints in the affirmative, finding the existence of sufficient grounds for impeachment.”
Luistro said the panel had “seen the evidence” and “examined the evidence,” pointing to testimonies, audit findings, and financial records presented during the hearings.
Articles of Impeachment
The articles of impeachment accuse Duterte of:
- Misuse and irregular liquidation of confidential funds totaling at least ₱500 million in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and ₱112.5 million in the Department of Education (DepEd)
- Amassing unexplained wealth and failing to fully disclose assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN)
- Bribery and corruption involving officials under her authority
- Contracting or soliciting acts of violence, including alleged threats against top government officials
- Acts of political destabilization and abuse of power
The report cites audit findings from the Commission on Audit (COA), financial data flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and testimonies from officials and witnesses, including forensic document examiners and government auditors.
Lawmakers were presented with testimony on the movement of large sums of cash through informal channels; receipts and liquidation documents flagged as possibly fabricated, including findings of identical handwriting across multiple documents; certifications showing that some listed recipients do not exist in official records; audit findings ordering the refund of tens of millions of pesos and flagging hundreds of millions more for irregularities; and reports of billions of pesos in financial transactions linked to accounts under scrutiny.
Luistro also noted that the committee relied on Duterte’s own sworn SALN filings as part of the evidentiary record, raising questions over discrepancies between declared assets and financial data presented during the hearings.
The committee emphasized that it followed constitutional procedures, beginning with determinations of sufficiency in form and substance in early March, before proceeding to hearings to establish probable cause.
It also disclosed that it opted not to open a sealed box of tax records submitted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), citing legal constraints and the view that existing evidence was sufficient at the committee level.
Only a one-third vote from the plenary is needed for the adoption of the articles of impeachment against Duterte. (Ellson Quismorio)
