The three impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte have made no progress as of Wednesday, remaining stalled three weeks after the first petition was filed.

The delay was due to the House of Representatives legal department still reviewing the veracity of the petitions, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed to Daily Tribune.

“[I have] not yet [transmitted the impeachment complaint and] will wait until the legal department has completed its review of the third complaint filed on 19 December,” Velasco said in a message.

Under the Constitution, the Secretary-General shall “immediately” refer to the Speaker’s office any petition filed by a member of the House or by an ordinary Filipino citizen.

The move against the embattled Vice President has faced strong opposition from the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), which threatened to hold a massive rally to oppose the impeachment effort. The INC supported President Ferdinand Marcos’ stance, arguing the impeachment proceedings would take Congress away from more important matters.

As Congress tackles the impeachment complaints, multiple sources said that a massive INC rally has been scheduled for 13 January at the Luneta. The announcement was reportedly made during the group’s worship service.

Petitioners rush petitions

Recently, the endorsers of the complaints — Representatives Arlene Brosas, France Castro and Raoul Manuel — urged the House to refer the impeachment complaints “at the soonest possible time,” emphasizing the gravity of the allegations against the Vice President.

They emphasized the need for promptness, stressing that every day of inaction is “another day of impunity.”

“It is the constitutional duty of the House to muster the necessary votes to bring the case to the Senate so that a trial can begin at the soonest possible time. Then the public and private prosecutors could present the case to the Senate impeachment court,” the Makabayan bloc said in a joint statement last week.

The petitioners — comprised of various groups, including lawyers, priests, and former lawmakers — want Duterte removed from office over her alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and betrayal of the public trust.

All the petitions relied heavily on the findings of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which had thoroughly investigated alleged irregularities in Vice President Duterte’s use of P612.5 million in confidential funds — P500 million for the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million for the Department of Education, which she had previously headed.

The first petition was filed on 2 December, and two days after, the second impeachment petition was registered. The third impeachment plea, meanwhile, marked one week on Wednesday.

The Makabayan bloc confirmed they had launched a signature drive to fast-track the impeachment proceedings in the House and elevate the petitions to the Senate which shall sit as a trial court.

However, the House, dominated by the VP’s critics, has remained mum on whether they will support the petition, given that President Marcos had appealed to them to stop the attempt to remove Duterte from office.