House panel finds ‘assassination’ ground sufficient vs. VP Sara

House lawmakers on Tuesday said the fourth ground of the third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte — accusing her of committing high crimes by allegedly contracting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and former Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez — is sufficient in substance.

The House Committee on Justice, chaired by Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, briefly suspended its hearing to allow the Secretariat to replay the November 2024 video cited in the complaint.

In the footage, Duterte was heard saying: “Kapag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta at si Martin Romualdez. No joke, no joke. ‘Pag namatay ako huwag kang tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapatay sila.”

The room fell silent after the clip was played, with several lawmakers describing the recording as pivotal to their assessment.

Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who endorsed the complaint, said the Vice President’s public statements — later confirmed in a media interview — form the core of the charge.

“The core ultimate fact alleged here is that instead of resorting to lawful remedies, she contracted an assassin to kill the President, the First Lady, and the former Speaker,” De Lima told the panel.

She said the video is a matter of public record and has been cited in criminal proceedings, arguing that the issue goes beyond political rhetoric and strikes at the constitutional order.

Committee vice chair San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said whether the threats were conditional is immaterial at this stage.

“It is my position that the threats were conditional is inconsequential,” Zamora said. “The mere act of engaging an assassin is opposed to her oath — at the very least, it amounts to betrayal of public trust.”

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the focus should not be on whether a crime was consummated.

“The mere fact that it was uttered by a sitting Vice President to threaten a sitting President and claim that she had contracted an assassin to do her bidding is in itself an impeachable act — in itself a betrayal of public trust,” Adiong said.

Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. also rejected attempts to downplay the remarks.

“That is not political noise. That is a red flag for national stability and constitutional order,” Abante said, stressing that the Vice President is bound by a higher standard of conduct.

Negros Oriental Rep. Janice Degamo, recalling that her husband, former Gov. Roel Degamo, received threats before he was killed, said such statements cannot be dismissed.

“Conditional threats can turn into actual harm,” she said.

Quezon City Rep. Jesus “Bong” Suntay raised concerns about free speech and the absence of proof of an actual agreement to kill. However, most members maintained that the committee’s task is not to determine guilt but to assess whether the complaint alleges facts that, if true, would constitute impeachable offenses.

By the end of the deliberations, several lawmakers said Duterte’s recorded statements and subsequent confirmation reinforced their view that the fourth ground meets the constitutional threshold for sufficiency in substance.