Luistro: Impeachment not a hashtag, not a meme

House Committee on Justice Chair Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” R. Luistro on Monday stressed that impeachment is a constitutional process, not a battle of online narratives.

“Hindi hashtag ang magpapasya dito. Hindi meme ang maghahatol,” the chair said.

Luistro issued the statement amid intense digital campaigning from opposing camps as the impeachment issue returned to the national spotlight.

Opening the proceedings on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, Luistro rejected claims of impeachment fatigue and misinformation, declaring that “the Constitution does not get tired” and accountability cannot be set aside for convenience.

“That mandate is not optional. It is not seasonal. It is not subject to fatigue. It is a duty,” Luistro said as the panel convened to determine the sufficiency in form of the complaints.

The hearing marks the official start of constitutional proceedings that could determine whether the Vice President will face trial in the Senate.

The committee also addressed claims circulating online that the impeachment complaints merely recycle accusations supposedly “dismissed” by the Supreme Court.

Luistro said that assertion is legally incorrect.

The Supreme Court ruling cited by critics dealt solely with the constitutional one-year bar rule, a procedural limitation, and did not examine evidence, conduct trial or rule on the merits of the allegations.

“It did not absolve anyone of wrongdoing,” Luistro stressed, citing the Court’s own clarification.

She emphasized that a procedural bar does not amount to a declaration of innocence.

The committee confirmed that four complaints, totaling 254 pages, were referred simultaneously:

• A 43-page complaint signed by 45 complainants citing three grounds framed as betrayal of public trust.
• A 41-page complaint signed by 17 complainants presenting five articles of impeachment.
• A 98-page complaint signed by 13 complainants alleging six grounds.
• A 72-page complaint filed by a single complainant outlining seven articles.

At this stage, Luistro clarified that the panel is not determining guilt but examining procedural compliance, including proper verification, endorsement and conformity with constitutional and House requirements.

She underscored that sufficiency in form is only the first constitutional filter. If the complaints pass this stage, the panel will move to sufficiency in substance, where the allegations must be credible on their face and anchored on impeachable offenses.

“Impeachment cannot be built on rumor,” Luistro said.

“If we refuse to examine impeachment complaints properly before us, we are not preserving stability — we are weakening accountability,” she added.

She closed with a reminder that no official stands above the Constitution.

“No one is above the Constitution. Not the President. Not the Vice President. Not the Senate. Not the House of Representatives,” Luistro said.

The committee is scheduled to continue hearings to complete its determination on sufficiency in form before proceeding to the next constitutional phase.

For now, the House signaled that impeachment, despite its political weight, remains a constitutional obligation.

“Calmly. Carefully. Constitutionally. So today, we begin.”