House prosecutors won't seek inhibition of VP Sara allies from impeach vote

The House prosecution panel won’t seek the inhibition of the senator-judges who are allied with Vice President Sara Duterte during her impeachment trial, said the head of the panel, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro.

“We will not be doing that because we recognize their prerogative to participate and decide on this impeachment trial. If ever there will be inhibition, definitely it will not come from us. I don't know where it will come from,” Luistro said in a press conference.

“This is a constitutional duty [for the Senators]. I don't think that inhibition will be proper here,” Luistro added.

Likewise, Luistro said that the House prosecution panel will oppose any bid to dismiss the impeachment case against the Vice President at the first instance, because outright dismissal is not provided under the Senate rules on impeachment and even the Constitution.

“Definitely, if there will be a move or request towards the dismissal of the impeachment complaint, i-o-oppose namin yun. I said it earlier that the Senate rules on impeachment do not speak about dismissal,” Luistro pointed out.

“The [Senate] rules [on impeachment] neither speak about remand nor about clarification. Ang sinasabi lamang po ng Senate rules on impeachment, [conducting a] trial. And after trial, the judgment is either conviction or acquittal. So kung may motion to dismiss, or if the allegations are tantamount to a motion to dismiss, we will definitely oppose that,” Luistro added.

Article 11, Section 3.4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that "in case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed."

The Senate rules on impeachment state that "Senators shall observe political neutrality during the course of the impeachment trial."

The same set of Senate rules on impeachment defines political neutrality as "exercise of public official’s duty without unfair discrimination and regardless of party affiliation or preference."

At least 257 members of the House voted for the impeachment of the Vice President last May 11, more than the Constitutionally required one-third of all House members to send the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.

The Articles of Impeachment approved by the House for Senate action accuse the Vice President of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery and other high crimes, based on the following acts:

a) systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to P500 million released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as Education chief

b) amassing unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official

c) failure to fully and truthfully disclose all her and her spouse's assets, liabilities, and net worth in her statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), including in her SALN for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024;

d) failure to divest, and instead, willfully continued, all her business interests during her tenure as vice president for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025

e) giving monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws.

f) contracting for the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former Speaker of the House and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, by making grave threats, and by actively inciting sedition against the Republic.

During the House justice panel impeachment hearings, Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified that the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio, recorded P6.7 billion worth of covered and suspicious bank transactions from 2006 to 2025.

The same House justice panel hearings also revealed that the Vice President and her husband, in their joint filing of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth before the Ombudsman, did not declare any cash on hand or in bank from 2019 to 2024. —LDF, GMA News