The House Committee on Justice on Wednesday unanimously found probable cause to bring the two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House plenary after it drafts the committee report.

All 53 members present voted in favor of the motion raised by Pinoy Workers Partylist Rep. Franz Legaspi, following the presentation of summaries by complainants Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima and Manila 6th District Rep. Benny Abante, along with a video briefing from the committee panel.

Justice panel chairperson Gerville Luistro said the committee report will be prepared by 4 May, the next hearing date. She reiterated the invitation to Duterte to attend the proceedings then.

Duterte, however, continued to be absent from the hearings. Abante criticized her continued non-appearance, saying it reflected avoidance. “To our Vice President, silence and avoidance from the hearing are not defenses. This shows fear,” he said.

De Lima, for her part, said the evidence presented across three clarificatory hearings supported the committee’s conclusion.

“After the three clarificatory hearings, based on the testimonies, documents, and evidence presented, our conclusion is clear — there is probable cause,” she said.

The committee also approved consolidating the two impeachment complaints into a single article of impeachment for transmission to the plenary.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s defense team questioned the ruling, saying the proceedings “departed from the constitutional design” by going beyond the verified complaints and venturing into matters they said should be reserved for a full trial.

“We respectfully maintain that the proceedings before the committee departed from the constitutional design,” the defense said, adding that impeachment rules required the committee to focus on the sufficiency of the verified complaints at this stage.