Luistro to Marcoleta: Bring questions on legality of impeach raps before SC

House justice committee chairperson and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro on Wednesday called on Sagip party-list Representative Paolo Marcoleta to bring his questions on the legality of the panel's impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte before the Supreme Court. 

The testy exchange between Luistro and Marcoleta stemmed from the latter's adverse comments on the disclosure of Duterte's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) before the committee's impeachment proceedings for determination of probable cause. 

Marcoleta accused the House panel engaging in a fishing expedition after it was revealed at the hearing that the Vice President did not declare any cash in hand or in bank from 2019 to 2024 based on her SALN records submitted by the Office of the Ombudsman. 

Marcoleta argued that since the SALNs of the Vice President were not included in the impeachment complaints and were just obtained by the House justice committee thru the issuance of subpoena to the Office of the Ombudsman, the repository of the Vice President’s SALNs, the impeachment complainants have no evidence against the Vice President.

“This [impeachment] complaint is just requesting the committee to produce evidence. This means there is no evidence, and the complainant appealed to the committee to produce the evidence that was not attached in the original complaint,” Marcoleta said. 

LIVE UPDATES: VP Sara Duterte impeachment hearing (April 22, 2026)

Luistro then assured Marcoleta that the House justice panel’s issuance of the subpoena for obtaining the SALNs is in accordance with the House impeachment rules, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court decision on the 2024 impeachment case filed against the Vice President. 

“The purpose of the compulsory process [of issuing a subpoena] of the House justice committee is for the purpose of testing the sufficiency of the allegations, whether the same constitute probable cause which [determination] is the mandate of this Committee. So, with due respect to Honorable Marcoleta, it is our humble position that all the actions of this committee, including the issuance of subpoena of all these questions, by Your Honor, is in accordance with the rules of impeachment, the Constitution, and even with the decisions of the Honorable Supreme Court,” Luistro said. 

Marcoleta then quipped, “the court will be the better judge of that.” 

Luistro countered: “And that is why you should elevate them to the Honorable Court.” 

Marcoleta, however, did not express interest to question the House justice panel impeachment proceedings before the Supreme Court. 

“Maybe not me, but some other parties. Thank you, Madam Chair,” Marcoleta added. 

One of the impeachment allegations against the Vice President is the accumulation of unexplained wealth. — RSJ, GMA News