House panel to vote on 4th impeachment complaint Wednesday

House Justice Committee Chairman Atty. Gerville Luistro of Batangas said Tuesday the panel will vote on Wednesday after wrapping up deliberations on the fourth impeachment complaint.

“Yes, we will vote tomorrow as soon as we finish on the deliberation of the 4th impeachment complaint,” said Luistro.

The lawmaker said that if both complaints are declared sufficient in substance, the committee will proceed with the next steps on Wednesday.

“Then we will be issuing the necessary notice to the respondent for her to file her answer that is within the period of 10 session days, 10 calendar days, I’m sorry. 10 calendar days from receipt of the notice.”

She added, “And then from the time of receipt by the complainant of the answer of the respondent, she will be given a period of 3 calendar days to file her reply. And then from receipt by the respondent of the reply of the complainant, the respondent again will be given a period of 3 calendar days to file her rejoinder. So during this time, we will be allowing as well the submission of evidence including the swearing-in of the affidavits and counter-affidavits because that should happen before the Justice Committee.”

Luistro said hearings will “definitely happen after the Holy Week because we need to provide time for the responsive pleadings. You heard already, we will be anticipating answer and then reply and then rejoinder. Tapos we have to give allowance pa to the time, the day, or the period on which the same will be delivered to the proper recipient.”

The panel resumed deliberations on the third impeachment complaint, which Luistro said involved six grounds that were taken up.

She said the committee would first complete deliberations on the fourth impeachment complaint on Wednesday before proceeding to voting.

“So as pronounced at the onset, we will be doing the deliberation one after the other impeachment complaint. Natapos na kanina yung 3rd impeachment complaint, tomorrow we will be witnessing the deliberation of the 4th impeachment complaint,” said Luistro.

Voting will immediately follow, with members first deciding on the sufficiency in substance of the third impeachment complaint and then the fourth.

Since the third and fourth impeachment complaints have nearly identical grounds and share the Ramil Madriaga affidavit as a common denominator, Luistro was asked whether similarly extensive deliberations are expected.

“If they will be manifesting similar arguments and similar manifestations, I might encourage the members to move for the adoption of the discussion that we already had today. But if it will be new matters, new arguments which they will be raising in support or in relation to the 7 grounds of the 4th impeachment complaint, we will definitely give ample opportunity to the justice members to deliberate on the same,” she said.

“We are not certain on the same day of issuance, made-deliver na ba yan sa respondent so we need to provide allowance as to the period during which the same must be served to the proper recipient,” she added.

Luistro maintained, “As I have said, my statement is on the assumption only. In case that these two impeachment complaints will be declared as sufficient in substance, yes, I confirm that the hearing proper will happen after the Holy Week. So this will probably start the second week of April.”