Mustering the required one-third of votes in favor of the impeachment complaints lodged against Vice President Sara Duterte in the House of Representatives is feasible.
However, the chances of the complaint breezing through the trial stage in the Senate may be highly improbable, a House leader said Thursday.
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chairperson of the House Committee on Justice, which determines whether a petition is sufficient in form and substance, said the House was still “blind” with respect to the progress of the three impeachment complaints.
Still, Abante said, he was confident that the one-third votes “might be achieved” if his colleagues could be encouraged to sign the complaints.
The Constitution allows the House to expedite the impeachment process through the shortcut route of garnering the required votes of one-third, or 106, of the House members.
The Makabayan bloc has confirmed it has launched a signature drive to fast-track the proceedings, with some members of the minority coalition having pledged their support.
In that case, the petitions will be elevated straight to the Senate, sitting as the trial court, bypassing the justice committee which is constitutionally mandated to deliberate on the complaints for 60 session days before it comes up with a report that is referred to the plenary.
“Later, it will go to the Senate, and we do not even know if it will succeed in the Senate,” Abante said in an interview.
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a staunch Duterte ally, had predicted the impeachment complaints would surely reach the Senate, citing the keenness of the House which is dominated by the VP’s critics.
Abante, on the other hand, said they could not rush the petitions without delving into the merits of the cases. He also cited time pressure as another factor potentially contributing to the looming unsuccessful attempt to remove Duterte from office.
Congress is currently on a holiday break and is pressed for time due to another upcoming break in February, the start of the campaign for the May 2025 polls.
By that time, Abante said, “some of the congressmen will be required to stay in their districts.”
In the event the House succeeds in impeaching Duterte, the lack of time will dictate whether the move will hurdle the Senate, given that the term of the current lawmakers is set to end on 30 June and a new batch of legislators will be sworn in.