4 of 7 raps vs Sara enough to convict — Chua

The House prosecution panel asserted Thursday that four of the seven articles of impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte make “the strongest case” for her conviction, removal and perpetual ban from public office.

House prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua said the charges focus on four key issues: an alleged death threat against the President, misuse of confidential funds, bribery of subordinates, and unexplained wealth. These are detailed in Articles I, II, III and IV of the impeachment complaint.

“I believe there are four articles that present the strongest case against Duterte. Article I alone —her threat against the President — is already extraordinary in its severity,” said Chua, who also chairs the House committee that investigated Duterte’s use of confidential funds.

The House of Representatives filed seven articles of impeachment against Duterte. A conviction requires a two-thirds vote, or 16 of the 23 members of the Senate impeachment court. A guilty verdict on even one article is sufficient for conviction.

Duterte is the first Philippine vice president to be impeached after 215 House members voted in favor of it on 5 February. Her upcoming trial in the Senate will be the first of its kind in the country.

She stands accused of high crimes, betrayal of public trust, and/or culpable violations of the Constitution.

Among the most serious allegations is her statement made in an online video that she had arranged for the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event she was killed.

The House also alleges that Duterte committed graft and corruption when she misappropriated P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to her office and to the Department of Education, which she had headed for two years. Of the amount, P125 million was reportedly spent in just 11 days, with P73 million of it flagged by the Commission on Audit.

Article III of the impeachment complaint alleged bribery, citing cash envelopes — containing as much as P50,000 — allegedly distributed monthly to high-ranking DepEd officials.

The House further accused Duterte of amassing hidden wealth totaling P2 billion, which she allegedly failed to disclose in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

According to the complaint, her declared net worth rose from P13.9 million in 2007 to P44.83 million in 2017, during her time as vice mayor and mayor of Davao City. Lawmakers argued the increase was inconsistent with the salary of a city mayor estimated at P2.64 million annually.

In addition, she is accused of having over P2 billion in joint bank accounts with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, from 2006 to 2015.

Chua asserted that the evidence presented under these four articles alone are sufficient to convict Duterte of graft, bribery, betrayal of public trust and high crimes.

The Vice President has denied all the allegations. She maintained that her use of confidential funds was lawful and insisted that her comments about assassinating the Marcos family were taken out of context.

The Senate impeachment court is expected to begin her trial when the 20th Congress opens on 28 July.

Amid efforts to dismiss the impeachment trial prematurely, Chua urged the Senate to uphold “political neutrality” and follow proper procedures during the trial.

“To dismiss an impeachment complaint outright, without even conducting a trial, is not within the bounds of an impeachment court,” he said. “Under the Constitution, they are required to try and decide the case.”

Duterte needs only nine votes for acquittal. However, with six senator-judges reportedly aligned with her, she may only need three additional votes to secure a not guilty verdict.