106 votes to impeach Sara Duterte 'not difficult to surmount' — Ridon

A member of the House justice committee on Saturday expressed confidence that the lower chamber can muster sufficient votes to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

At a news forum in Quezon City, panel member Bicol Saro Partylist Representative Terry Ridon said the House justice panel alone already gathered 53 votes to find probable cause to impeach the second highest official in the government. 

"Ang kailangan lang naman namin is 106 votes to impeach [Duterte] and to send it to the Senate. Tingin ko naman ay that is a number that will not be difficult to surmount at makuha," the lawmaker said.

The House needs at least one-third or 106 out of its total membership of 318 to impeach Duterte.

"Kung ang minimum requirement lang ay 106, tingin ko hindi na 'yun mahirap gawin," Ridon said.

"At the very best we would want to get at the very least 215 minimum number of votes, which is we had gotten the last time noong first impeachment hearing," he added.

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 2025 to send the impeachment case to the archives, following the decision of the Supreme Court declaring the Articles of Impeachment unconstitutional for violating the one-year bar rule and due process rights. 

Ridon said the House justice panel will let the lower chamber's members to "decide for themselves based on conscience, based on the evidence presented."

On Wednesday, the House justice panel found probable cause to impeach the Vice President, after four impeachment hearings revealed the following:

• Detainee Ramil Madriaga's account of disbursing P125 million worth of confidential funds of the Vice President within 24 hours with cash deliveries in Laguna, Quezon City, and the Office of the Ombudsman
• Madriaga signing a bank secrecy waiver to prove that he has nothing to hide
• Madriaga alleging that the Vice President's election campaign may have been financed by Pharmally which has been linked to anomalous government procurement 
• the Commission on Audit (COA) revealing that the notice of disallowance on P73 million in confidential funds in 2022 was upheld by the COA commission proper
• The NBI representatives testifying on signatures in the acknowledgment receipts of recipients of confidential funds
• COA's Gloria Camora, a lawyer of COA's Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, confirming that COA also issued three notices of disallowance on three releases of confidential funds for the OVP in 2023 worth P125 million each or P375 million in total 
• the testimonies of various resource persons, regarding the "envelopes" and the questionable receipts, and other statements
• the Philippine Statistics Authority testifying that recipients of confidential funds, such as Mary Grace Piattos, Milky Secuya, and Kokoy Villamin do not have records in the country's civil registry
• the Vice President not declaring any cash on hand or in bank under her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2019 to 2024
• the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report flagging P6.7 billion worth of bank transactions of the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio, as covered and suspicious transactions from 2006 to 2025, with inflow standing at P4.425 billion and outflow at P1.55 billion
• the AMLC report revealed that there is a derogatory record for the Vice President and her husband
• the AMLC report showing that Vice President was the subject of suspicion in 27 confidential reports dated August 2, 2024 to January 29, 2026 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, graft and corrupt practices, and malversation of public funds and property in connection with the House Quad Committee hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, news reports alleging the involvement of the Vice President's husband in the P6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and the news reports on the Vice President's alleged misuse of confidential funds
• the AMLC report showing that her husband, Atty. Carpio, as subject of suspicion in 17 confidential reports from September 14, 2017 to April 25, 2025 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, and malversation of public funds and property "in connection with the news reports on alleged his involvement in the PP6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and news articles in relation to his wife, VP Sara's, alleged misuse of confidential/intelligence funds"
• the AMLC confirmation that at least 18 bank transactions linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her family members, as cited in the affidavit of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, match records of covered and suspicious transaction reports
• the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) findings that the video of a press conference showing Vice President Duterte making a threat to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and his family members in certain circumstances constitutes inciting to sedition and three counts of grave threat, among others. 

GMA News Online reached out to the Vice President's defense team for comment, but it has yet to respond as of posting time.

What's next?

The House panel moved to consolidate the two verified complaints under one Articles of Impeachment. 

It will also now produce a committee report to be furnished to Duterte, the complainants, and the members of the committee.

The hearings will continue on May 4 at 10 a.m. at the People's Center.

"Sa darating pong Lunes magkakaroon ng committee meeting to approve the committee report kasama na po doon ang Articles of Impeachment from the consolidated complaints, after which within the week, next week, mailalagay na po 'yun sa plenaryo for deliberation," Ridon said.

(This coming Monday, a committee meeting will be held to approve the committee report including the Articles of Impeachment from the consolidated complaints, after which, within the week, next week, it can be brought to the plenary for deliberation.)

"Ibig sabihin, lahat ng miyembro mabibigyan ng kopya ng Articles of Impeachment annexes and evidence. Mabibigyan din ng kopya ang Pangalawang Pangulo bilang bahagi ng due process requirements ng Korte Suprema. So magkakaroon ng debate roon, malaya ang lahat na magtalakayan at makipag-debate on the committee report and Articles of Impeachment. And then there will be a vote," he said.

(That means, all the members will be given copies of the Articles of Impeachment annexes and evidence. The Vice President will also be provided a copy as part of due process requirements of the Supreme Court. So there will be a debate, everyone will be free to discuss and debate on the committee report and the Articles of Impeachment. And then there will be a vote.)

The lawmaker added that within the next two weeks "we will have to transmit it to the Senate and we have impeached the Vice President." — VDV, GMA News