SOME 215 members of the House of Representatives support the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, a member of the House Committee on Justice, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, said Thursday.
The House is expected to vote on May 11 on whether to send impeachment articles against Duterte to the Senate for trial. Under the Constitution, doing so needs a vote of at least one-third of all House members — or 106 of the current membership.
“From consultations, we are now at around 215 House members supporting the impeachment,” Ridon told reporters.
“This is now more than 2/3 of all House members, and approximates the total number of votes in last year’s impeachment vote,” he said.
Lawmakers have been provided with copies of the impeachment articles against the vice president ahead of the expected vote.
House Deputy Majority Leader and Manila 1st District Rep. Ernesto Dionisio Jr. said on Wednesday evening during the plenary session that members have furnished electronic copies of Committee Report 261, containing House Resolution 989 including its annexes. Downloadable electronic copies of the report are also available on the House website. Printed copies of the report have also been distributed.
Resolution 989 sets forth the impeachment articles.
Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, the chairman of the House Committee on Justice, noted that the Supreme Court required that House members be provided with a copy of the articles of impeachment with the evidence.
“They should be given reasonable time to read and study the same before the plenary vote. That’s part of due process,” Luistro said in Filipino and English.
The impeachment articles seek Duterte’s removal from office and perpetual disqualification from holding any office under the Republic of the Philippines. It also declares that she will be liable to prosecution, trial and punishment, according to law.
Article I alleged that Duterte committed culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayed public trust “through the systematic misuse, misappropriation and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to” P500 million “released to the Office of the Vice President and” P112.5 million “released to the Department of Education.” Duterte served as Education secretary before she resigned from that post in 2024.
Article II alleged that she committed culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayed public trust when” she: allegedly amassed “unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official;” allegedly failed “to fully and truthfully disclose all her and her spouse’s assets, liabilities and net worth in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), including in her SALN for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024;” and allegedly failed “to divest, and instead, willfully continued, all her business interests during her tenure as” vice president “for the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.” Article III alleged that she “committed bribery, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayed public trust when she gave monetary gifts or payments to” certain people “to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws.” The last article, Article IV, alleged that Duterte “committed culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes and betrayed public trust by contracting for the assassination of” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez “by making grave threats and by actively inciting sedition against the” Republic.
Duterte has denied the charges.
On Thursday, she said she is leaving everything to God as she maintained that the allegations raised against her are baseless.
Speaking to blogger Alvin Zarzate at The Hague after she visited her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, the vice president said she believes the impeachment case against her was “made up” by the members of the House of Representatives.
“Everything that happens in a person’s life is written by God. So, if I get impeached, that was already written by God. If I don’t get impeached, [then] see you tomorrow,” Duterte said in Filipino.
When asked on whether she would be vindictive against those who would vote for her impeachment, Duterte said that she is not the type of politician who would hold grudges against their political enemies.
She said that if she were a lawmaker, she would look at the evidence first before deciding whether to support the impeachment complaint.
“When the complaint was filed, there was no evidence at all included in it. Everything was just — what do lawyers call them? It’s as if they are all just allegations. There is nothing to support the allegations. So, that is what they should be looking at. Is there a basis for this or not?” Duterte said.
She asked whether the impeachment case is about accountability or just removing a person who does not agree with the Marcos administration.
Asked if she believes that some lawmakers are being “pressured” to sign the impeachment complaint for fear of losing their budgetary allocations, Duterte simply said that the government has no more money.
“Whether there is an impeachment or not, there is no more money that can be given. If they still give that away — the MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses) for the congressmen — the government will no longer be able to function,” Duterte said.
She said that the government should focus first on solving inflation rather than giving bribes to impeach her.
Duterte also said that she can help people if she won’t be vice president in a different capacity.
“My capacity to help will not go away. I am not desperate for a position because, regardless of what position you hold, if you truly want to help people, it is always possible,” Duterte said.
