Luistro: House impeachment hearing ‘not a forum for fantasy’

“This committee is not a forum for fantasy.”

This was the reminder issued Wednesday as the House Committee on Justice pushed back against attempts to trivialize allegations raised in the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Panel chair Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro of Batangas said the proceedings were about constitutional accountability — not speculation or political theater.

“Our pace is deliberate because our duty is delicate. Hindi tayo narito para magmadali. Hindi rin tayo narito para magkubli. We are here to uphold the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines — calmly, carefully, courageously,” Luistro said.

She warned that the committee would not allow serious accusations to be brushed aside as imagination or jokes.

“Hindi ito sinehan. Hindi ito komedya. Ito ay pagdinig sa pananagutan,” she stressed, adding that the complaints under review contain serious allegations.

“The allegations are not light matters: misuse of confidential funds, bribery, grave threats, ill-gotten wealth grossly disproportionate to lawful income, and acts allegedly undermining constitutional order,” she pointed out.

During earlier deliberations, lawmakers also discussed whether a vice president could be held accountable for acts allegedly committed while concurrently serving in another government position.

Luistro recalled a remark raised during the hearing: “Dalawang kamay, isang utak. Isang opisyal, isang pananagutan.”

She also cited a message raised during the hearing regarding threats from public officials: “Ang banta, lalo na mula sa mataas na opisyal, ay hindi biro.”

Luistro reminded lawmakers that the committee’s role at this stage is limited to determining whether the allegations meet the constitutional threshold for further proceedings.

“At this stage, we are not deciding guilt. Hindi pa ito hatol,” she said. “The question before us is narrower but crucial: Are the allegations — if assumed true for purposes of this stage — sufficient in substance to warrant further proceedings?”

Luistro said complaints that are speculative must be dismissed.

“If the accusations are speculative, we must dismiss them. If they are trivial, we must reject them,” she said.

But serious constitutional questions, she added, must not be ignored.

“But if they raise serious constitutional questions about public funds, abuse of authority, and violations of public trust, then we must not close the door prematurely,” Luistro said.

She also stressed that the impeachment proceedings should not be reduced to political camps.

“Hindi ito laban ng kampo. Ito ay usapin ng Konstitusyon,” she said.

Finally, Luistro reminded lawmakers to remain faithful to their oath.

“History will not ask whether this was comfortable. History will ask whether we were faithful to our oath,” she said.

If the constitutional threshold is met, she added, the process should move forward.

“Kung sapat ang reklamo para umusad ang proseso, dapat natin itong ituloy. If the constitutional threshold is met, we should not be afraid to let the constitutional process move forward,” Luistro said.