Luistro to defend impeachment findings, says House vote up to lawmakers

House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Luistro said Saturday she has not pre-empted how members of the House of Representatives would vote on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday.

“The focus is only on the proceedings. As a matter of fact, I will be standing in the plenary I think this coming Monday, but I never pre-empted as to who will be voting in favor of the impeachment and who will not be voting in favor of the impeachment,” she said at the Saturday News Forum.

Luistro said her focus as committee chairperson is to defend the findings of probable cause made by the House Committee on Justice, while the voting remains the exclusive judgment of House members.

The congresswoman clarified that she has not campaigned among fellow lawmakers, saying her purpose in appearing before the plenary on Monday is to defend the committee’s findings and seek the affirmation of the rest of the House.

Luistro, however, said the House plenary voting on Monday is a political exercise, with some members expected to oppose the findings of the justice committee.

“So they will be making manifestations, they will be raising questions perhaps on constitutionality and the manner of appreciation of evidence,” she said.

The committee chairperson added that such manifestations are anticipated and are part of due process to ensure thorough deliberation before voting on the approval of the committee report.

Luistro also explained that the voting by House members will be nominal, with each lawmaker called one after another to cast a vote of either “yes” or “no.”

At least 106 votes, or one-third of the 318 members of the House of Representatives, are required to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.