House justice panel approves VP Sara Duterte impeachment for plenary vote

The House Committee on Justice on Monday unanimously approved the committee report with attached resolution setting forth the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, clearing the way for the House plenary vote.

The approval stemmed from the motion made by House Deputy Speaker Jayjay Suarez of Quezon's 2nd District.

It happened less than a week after the House justice panel also unanimously approved the motion finding probable cause to impeach the Vice President. All 55 House justice panel members voted in favor of Suarez's motion.

House justice committee chairperson and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro maintained that the panel followed the Constitution to the letter in conducting the impeachment proceedings.

“Sinunod natin ang Konstitusyon. Hindi tayo nagmadali; hindi tayo nag-shortcut. We honored the process. Bawat hakbang, bawat salita, bawat ebidensiya, hinarap natin nang buong pag-iingat at pananagutan,” Luistro said.

(We followed the Constitution. We did not rush things. We did not do shortcuts. We honored the process. In every step of the way, every word, every piece of evidence, we faced them all with utmost caution and responsibility.)

“Let us, therefore, move forward with heavy hearts but clear minds. If the Vice President is guilty, let the truth convict her. If she is innocent, let the process clear her. But let it be done through the light of justice, not the shadows of silence,” Luistro added.

Prior to the committee-level approval of the committee report, the House justice panel 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 waiver to prove that he has nothing to hide;

- Madriaga alleging that the Vice President’s election campaign may have been financed by Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation which has been linked to anomalous government procurement;

- The Commission on Audit (COA) revealing that the notice of disallowance on the P73 million confidential fund 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 Office of the Vice President (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, Atty. 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 P6.4 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; and

- 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.

Rock solid

These findings, Luistro said, make up a rock solid impeachment case against the Vice President.

“Mahaba pa ho ang tatahakin nating landas patungong Plenaryo at Senado. Ngunit hindi na tayo nangangapa. Marami na tayong naungkat, marami na tayong naisiwalat, at hindi natin hahayaaang masayang ang lahat ng ito. Kailangan ituloy ang proseso, because this is what justice demands. Because only then can we truly achieve accountability,” Luistro said.

(It is still a long way to go toward the Plenary and the Senate. But we are not not unsure. We have discovered and revealed many things, and we will not allow all these to just go to waste. The process has to continue, because this is what justice demands.)

“Malayo pa, pero sa totoo lang, malayo na. Kapag may public official na nagkaroon ng seryosong paratang, huwag nating balewalain, huwag nating palampasin. Kapag may kailangang ipaliwanag, huwag tayong titigil hangga’t lumabas ang katotohanan. Let us pursue this to its logical conclusion. Otherwise, the cycle of impunity will only repeat,” Luistro added.

(This is far from over, but we have, indeed, come a long way since. If there are serious allegations against a public official, let us not take those for granted. If something needs to be explained, let us not stop until truth comes out.)

House Deputy Minority Leader Chel Diokno of Akbayan Party-list, for his part, said public officials should be held accountable to eradicate corruption.

“'Pag hindi tapat ang lingkod bayan, ang resulta ay korapsyon,” Diokno said.

(If an official is not honest, the result is corruption.)

The two impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President accuses her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, mainly over the following acts:

· alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential fund and using them as bribes;

· threatening to kill President Marcos, Jr. and his family, including her desire to remove the head of the Chief Executive and

· alleged accumulation of unexplained wealth.

—KG, GMA News