Luistro: VP impeachment may influence 2028 race

House Committee on Justice chair Gerville Luistro of Batangas on Tuesday said the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte could influence how Filipinos decide in the 2028 presidential elections, as she acknowledged the potential political impact of the hearings.

Luistro did not dismiss the possibility that the proceedings may affect voter sentiment.

“Of course. Of course because dito sa ating proceedings, mapapag-uusapan yung grounds which are issues being imputed, being imputed against the Vice President. So, I think it’s possible na maaapektuhan ‘yung judgment ng Filipino people on how they’re going to decide for the next Presidential election,” Luistro told reporters.

She, however, expressed confidence that the process would be completed within the constitutional timeline.

“We are bound to finish in a period of 60-session days ‘di ba? Sixty session days for the Justice Committee. So, I don't think naman na aabutin tayo ng filing of candidacy for next year,” Luistro said, responding to a question on whether the proceedings could extend until the 2027 filing of certificates of candidacy.

The Justice Committee is set to begin deliberations on four impeachment complaints against Duterte on 2, 3 and 4 March, initially to determine their sufficiency in form and substance.

While recognizing the possible electoral implications, Luistro stressed that the panel would strictly follow established rules and procedures.

“Ako kasi always stick to the rules. We will be following strictly the rules. So, right now wala pa akong makitang challenges. Basta, initially we stick to the determination of sufficiency in form. Alam niyo na yung parameters nyan. Napag-uusapan natin iyan during the impeachment against the President. Pag natapos tayo doon, we go to the next. That is the determination of sufficiency in substance,” she said.

She added that the same parameters used in the previous impeachment proceedings against the President would be applied.

“As I have said in the past interviews, kung anong procedure, kung anong parameter ang ginamit natin sa impeachment against the president, we will be adopting the same with respect to our impeachment process against the vice president,” Luistro said.

Asked whether Duterte’s popularity as a perceived 2028 contender would influence the committee’s assessment, Luistro said the outcome would depend on the evidence presented.

“It will depend on the progress of the hearing. It will depend on the evidence which will be established, no? But there is no hard and fast really, that this will affect the popularity of the vice president. Depende ‘yun sa mangyayari sa hearing,” she said.

She emphasized that impeachment is a constitutional process that must proceed independently of political considerations.

“Again, because this is a very important process, this is an extraordinary power that was given to the sovereign Filipino people to impeach high-ranking public official. We do not want to delay impeachment proceedings,” Luistro said.

With the hearings set to examine the grounds cited in the complaints, Luistro acknowledged that public scrutiny of the allegations could factor into how voters assess candidates in the next presidential race.

But for the Justice Committee, she said, the focus remains procedural: determine sufficiency in form, determine sufficiency in substance and allow the constitutional process to take its course.