Lawmakers divided on VP Sara impeachment prospects

House lawmakers are divided on whether the first-ever impeachment complaint lodged against Vice President Sara Duterte will prosper, given the potential time constraints due to the upcoming mid-term elections.

Under the Constitution, the House Speaker has 10 session days from the filing of a verified impeachment complaint to include it in the order of business. Afterward, the complaint shall be referred within three session days to the House Committee on Justice, which shall then determine whether the complaint is sufficient in form and substance.

Within 60 session days, the panel must submit its report to the plenary. The House then has 10 session days to calendar it for resolution.

However, based on the House calendar, Congress will only have nine session days when it reconvenes on 13 January next year after a month-long holiday break. By 7 February, Congress will adjourn again for the election campaign.

After the May 2025 polls, sessions will resume from 2 to 13 June, after which a new batch of lawmakers will be sworn in.

Nonetheless, the House could expedite the impeachment process by garnering at least 1/3 of votes in favor of the resolution. This is equivalent to 106 members of the current House. Once approved, the resolution shall then be endorsed to the Senate for trial.

Given the tedious process, Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre and Batanes Rep. Geraldine Roman agree that time pressure could be the primary impediment to the attempt to remove Duterte from office.

Roman noted that in the case of the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, it took “around four months and a half” from the filing of the complaint to his impeachment and conviction in the Senate.

The lawmakers, however, acknowledge that despite possible challenges and limitations, Congress has to “pay attention” and is “constitutionally bound” to act on the petition.

“No other branch of the government has that duty except [for] the House of Representatives,” Acidre told reporters on Tuesday. “The leadership has yet to give their definite guidance on the matter but nevertheless, I think most of us members of Congress are one in saying that we are ready to undertake our constitutionally bound duty to tackle the impeachment complaint.”

“I agree with the President that there should not be an impeachment complaint but there is, so the Congress has no choice to act on it, to process it,” Roman said in the same briefing. “Rest assured that whatever processing, deliberations, they will be transparent and they will follow [the rule of law].”

A coalition of various organizations lodged the impeachment complaint against Duterte on Monday at the House of Representatives, which was endorsed by Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña. The group, composed of 16 complainants, accused Duterte of graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes — all grounds for impeachment except treason.

They alleged that Duterte failed to account for P650 million in total confidential and intelligence funds that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) received in 2022 and 2023. In addition, they claimed that Duterte also left nearly P7 billion in unliquidated cash advances during her time as Education Secretary.

The Makabayan bloc is expected to file another impeachment complaint against Duterte this week.

'Storm in a teacup'

Previously, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed that he asked his allies in the House to refrain from initiating efforts to oust Duterte because it would be a “waste of time” and “none of this will help improve a single Filipino life.”

The progressive group, however, castigated Marcos, asserting that such a move was a blatant violation of the separation of powers, allowing Congress to maintain its independence and exercise its constitutional mandate.

The filing of the impeachment complaint follows the House probe into the alleged irregularities in the use of P612.5 million in confidential funds of the OVP (P500 million) and the DepEd (P112.5 million) in 2022 and 2023 during Duterte's tenure as its Secretary.

Duterte, however, denied the allegations, calling the House investigation a “well-funded” and “coordinated political attack” aimed at discrediting her to prevent future political contests against Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Duterte earlier accused Romualdez of orchestrating the House probe because of his presidential ambition in the 2028 polls. The House chief, however, lashed back at Duterte, calling her allegations “unfounded and baseless” and a “desperate attempt” to divert public attention from the scandals she’s facing, such as the “misuse” of secret funds.