House justice panel's Zamora on votes to impeach VP Sara: 'We have the numbers'

House Committee on Justice Vice Chairperson and San Juan City Representative Ysabel Zamora on Saturday expressed confidence that the lower chamber has enough numbers to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

At a news forum in Quezon City, Zamora was asked if she was confident that the House of Representatives has sufficient votes to transmit impeachment complaints against Duterte to the Senate so that the Vice President's trial would commence.

"We believe that we have the numbers. We need one-third or around 106 [votes] if I'm not mistaken. We have the numbers," she said.

However, the lawmaker said there are qualms among congressmen about proceeding with the Vice President's impeachment.

"I will admit to you that the numbers are not as much as the numbers last year," Zamora said.

In February last year, the lower chamber impeached Duterte with 215 votes, exceeding the required one-third threshold or 102 votes, thus sending the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President to the Senate.

However, the Senate voted in August to send the impeachment case to the archives, following the decision of the Supreme Court to declare the articles of impeachment unconstitutional for violating the one-year bar rule and due process rights. 

Last week, the House justice panel found that the two impeachment complaints against the Vice President were sufficient in grounds, with the hearing to find probable cause able to proceed.

The two impeachment complaints against the Vice President allege betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution, among other offenses, stemming from the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds and threats to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his family.

"Congressmen have read the complaints and they believe that we are correct in declaring that it is sufficient in form, sufficient in substance and that the affidavits are sufficient to show that there is probable cause," Zamora said.

"Of course, we still have to go through the Committee on Justice hearing to declare probable cause," she said.

GMA News Online has requested comment from Duterte's camp regarding Zamora's statements, but it has yet to respond as of posting time.

Meanwhile, several lawyers filed a petition before the Supreme Court asking for a temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the House of Representatives from proceeding with the impeachment complaints against Duterte. 

Echoing House Justice Committee chair and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro's position that the panel will proceed despite the TRO petition, Zamora said the committee is following what the Supreme Court stated in its ruling regarding Duterte's impeachment.

"The House Committee on Justice is tasked to finish this within 60 session days," she said.

"We will continue with our proceedings… the House is on recess but the justice committee will continue," she added.

Luistro earlier said the petition cannot get in the way of the House's constitutional and sole mandate to initiate impeachment proceedings.

"We have not yet received nor reviewed the actual petition, but as with any legal pleading, we will study it carefully once it is formally served, and we will respond. [But] the filing of a petition, by itself, does not suspend the constitutional functions of a co-equal branch," Luistro said in a statement.

Bicol Saro party-list congressman Terry Ridon said the petition would only further increase public distrust in the Vice President.

According to a Pulse Asia survey from February 27 to March 2, 26% of Filipino adults do not trust Duterte. More than half or 51.5% of those who had voiced distrust mentioned her alleged involvement in corrupt practices.

“The public is not asking for rhetoric or legal word salad. They are asking for clear, direct answers about P612.5 million in confidential funds and her P50-million wealth gap. These are evidence-based proceedings anchored on sworn records—you cannot 'petition' your way out of a forensic audit,” Ridon said in a statement.

“The longer the answers do not come, the stronger the distrust becomes. You can delay a hearing, but you cannot delay the public’s verdict on your character,” he said. — with Jiselle Anne Casucian/VDV/VBL, GMA Integrated News