Manila, Philippines – The House Committee on Justice officially started on Monday the initial evaluations and proceedings on the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.
There were originally four verified impeachment complaints against Duterte supposedly to be tackled by the committee, but before the determination of sufficiency, the second complainants and endorsers officially withdrew their filed complaint.
On February 2, Tindig Pilipinas along with other civil society leaders filed the second impeachment complaint against Duterte over various grave allegations.
They were the same group that filed the first ever impeachment complaint initiated against Duterte last year.
Tindig Pilipinas Francis Joseph Aquino Dee, one of the complaintants, noted that their withdrawal is to allow the 3rd impeachment complaint to prosper citing similarities among most of its contents.
With this, they expressed support and consolidation to the third complaint filed by a group of lawyers and clergy, seeking a faster impeachment process.
The Committee accepted and approved the withdrawal of the said complaint before proceeding with the determination of the sufficiency of the other cases.
During the hearing, the committee members had a debate regarding the first impeachment complaint filed by progressive groups including BAYAN and MAKABAYAN coalition.
This is amid the queries on the complaint’s compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling citing that a new impeachment proceeding against Duterte may only be initiated from February 6, 2026.
The 1st complaint this year was filed on February 2.
With 22 affirmative votes, 10 negative, and zero abstention, the House panel adapted the motion to set aside the 1st impeachment complaint citing violation of the one year bar ruling.
Following the setting aside of the first and the withdrawal of the 2nd, the committee proceeded in tackling only two remaining impeachment complaints in determining its sufficiency in form.
In determining the sufficiency in form, the panel shall determine that the complaint has followed rules in the filing as well as technicalities, now including as well the compliance with the one year bar ruling.
The deliberation for the complaints’ sufficiency in substance is set on Tuesday, March 3, 10:00 AM.—Mia Layaguin, Eurotv News