‘HOUSE STRIKES BACK’: House Plenary Super-Charges VP Sara’s Impeachment

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan and Juliane Judilla

The House of Representatives on February 5 directly transmitted a verified impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte to the Senate, setting up a political face-off between ruling factions.

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed during Wednesday’s plenary session that 215 members signed the complaint on the same day.

This number exceeds the one-third threshold of 102 members, as required under Paragraph 4, Section 3, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, which states that a verified complaint signed by at least one-third of House members automatically constitutes the Articles of Impeachment and proceeds to the Senate for trial.

The impeachment bypassed the House Committee on Justice, heading straight to the Senate, which will act as an impeachment court.

Among the Western Visayas lawmakers who signed as of 2:10 p.m. Wednesday were:

• Rep. Carlito Marquez (Aklan-1st district)
• Rep. Teodorico Haresco (Aklan-2nd district)
• Rep. Emmanuel Billones (Capiz-1st district)
• Rep. Jane Castro (Capiz-2nd district)
• Rep. Janette Garin (Iloilo-1st district)
• Rep. Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo-3rd district)
• Rep. Ferjenel Biron (Iloilo-4th district)
• Rep. Raul Tupas (Iloilo-5th district)
• Rep. Julienne Baronda (Iloilo City-Lone district)
• Rep. Lucille Nava (Guimaras-Lone district)
• Rep. Lex Anthony Cris Colada (AAMBIS-OWA Partylist)
• Rep. Raoul Danniel Manuel (Kabataan Partylist)
• Rep. Howard Guintu (Pinuno Partylist)
• Rep. James Ang Jr. (Uswag Ilonggo Partylist)

Rep. Michael Gorriceta (Iloilo-2nd district) was not included in the initial list but confirmed via text that he signed the complaint.

The Articles of Impeachment listed six grounds, including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft, and other high crimes. Allegations against Duterte included:

The allegations against Duterte as stated in the complaint include:

• Hiring an assassin and plotting to murder or assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Marie Louise Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez (Leyte-1^st district);
• Misuse and malversation of confidential funds appropriated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd);
• Distributing monetary gifts to DepEd officials holding procurement-related functions;
• Amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN);
• Continuing extra-judicial killings of the Davao Death Squad during her term as Davao City Mayor;
• Repeatedly and maliciously causing political turmoil and instability by sowing discord and division within the government and making public declarations that are tantamount to inciting people to sedition and rebellion against the Marcos Jr. administration; and
• The totality of her conduct as Vice-President.

“[W]ithin less than three (3) years since having assumed the Vice-Presidency, which is the second highest executive office in the country, respondent Duterte has repeatedly, egregiously, and grossly violated her solemn oath. Indeed, respondent Duterte pursued actions that amount to Culpable Violations of the Constitution, Flagrant Betrayal of Public Trust, Graft and Corruption, and other High Crimes. These actions reveal that respondent Duterte is unfit for public office, and must, therefore, be removed by impeachment,” the impeachment complaint read.

“It has also been discovered that the actions of respondent Duterte as Vice-President are nothing new: she has acted in a similar, if not the same manner, ever since she assumed positions in public office. The only difference is, in previous occasions, she had successfully hidden her actions from public view. No more,” it added.

This new complaint is different from the previous three plaints filed last December 2024, which were sent to the House’s archives via motion during the Wednesday plenary session.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe named Rep. Lorenz Defensor among the 11 prosecutors for the Senate trial. Others include:

• Rep. Gerville Luistro (Batangas-2nd district)
• Rep. Romeo Acop (Antipolo City-2nd district)
• Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Partylist)
• Rep. Joel Chua (Manila-3rd district)
• Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon (Ako Bicol Partylist)
• Rep. Loreto Acharon (General Santos-Lone district)
• Rep. Marcelino Libanan (4Ps Partylist)
• Rep. Arnan Panaligan (Oriental Mindoro-1st district)
• Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City-Lone district)
• Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon-2nd district)

Defensor expressed being honored to have been selected as one of the prosecutors in a phone interview.

“I don’t know what the actual selection process was [for the prosecutors], but I am honored and I respect the choice of the House leadership in picking me as one of the eleven prosecutors. It means that they trust that I am capable and competent and capable to the job as prosecutor for this impeachment,” he told Daily Guardian.

The Ilonggo lawmaker also said that they will prepare their prosecution strategy while waiting for the action of the Senate.

REACTIONS

Prior to the House plenary session, the vice president’s brother, Rep. Paolo Duterte slammed the impeachment complaint, saying that he was “appalled and enraged by the desperate and politically motivated efforts”, name-dropping Garin as one of the complaint’s leaders.

“The sinister maneuvering of certain lawmakers, led by Rep. [Janette] Garin, to hastily collect signatures and push for the immediate approval and transmittal of this baseless impeachment case is a clear act of political persecution. This administration is treading on dangerous ground,” Duterte wrote in a statement.

“If they were unfazed by the over one million rallying supporters of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, then they are blindly marching toward an even greater storm-one that could shake the very foundation of their rule. The Filipino people will not sit idly by as this government undermines democracy and silences opposition through fabricated accusations,” he added.

Garin shot back at the lawmaker Duterte in her own statement, calling his statement as “very malicious”, also briefly addressing her signing of the complaint.

“Whoever fed him the info should come out and face me. Who am I to maneuver my colleagues? We were invited to a party consultation where officers explained the articles of impeachment. I was present, though late. I signed since it’s my constitutional duty,” Garin said.

‘BYE-BYE INDAY…’

Meanwhile, various organizations welcomed the House of Representatives’ endorsement of the impeachment complaint against Vice President and former Education Secretary Sara Duterte on February 5.

The complaint, which cited allegations of misuse of multi-million pesos in confidential funds, was confirmed by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.

Velasco announced that the fourth impeachment complaint secured 215 endorsements from lawmakers, meeting the required votes to proceed.

Progressive groups staged a protest vigil outside the House shortly after the endorsement of the impeachment complaint.

Student publications, led by the University of the Philippines Systemwide Alliance of Student Publications and Writers’ Organizations (UP Solidaridad), adopted a resolution intensifying calls for Duterte’s removal before Congress halts operations ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.

The resolution, titled “A Resolution Enjoining UP Solidaridad and Its Member Publications to Intensify the Campaign on the Impeachment Complaints Against Vice President Sara Duterte,” also commits the group to joining the Leaders and Youth Advocates Against Sara Duterte (LAYAS Duterte) Network.

UP Solidaridad, alongside KASAMA sa UP students, faculty, and members of the 2025 General Assembly of Student Councils, held a protest at Oblation Plaza at UP Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga to amplify their calls for impeachment.