House committee keeps two impeachment complaints versus VP Duterte

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

A HOUSE committee on Monday found two of four impeachment complaints against Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio sufficient in form, dismissing the others due to a procedural defect in one and withdrawal by complainants in the other.

The Justice committee reviewed the complaints to determine if they were properly signed and endorsed by lawmakers, a necessary first step before a full inquiry. “There are only two remaining impeachment complaints,” Batangas Rep. Gerville R. Luistro, committee chairman, said after Monday’s 39-member committee hearing.

Civil society groups, activists and religious organizations filed the four complaints since early February, alleging that Ms. Duterte misused hundreds of millions of pesos in confidential and intelligence funds allocated to the Office of the Vice-President and Department of Education, which she used to head.

The first complaint, filed on Feb. 2 by left-leaning groups, was set aside because the Constitution bars multiple impeachment attempts against an official within a year. Twenty-two congressmen voted to dismiss the complaint, while 10 opposed.

The filing accused the Vice-President of misusing confidential funds, directing subordinates to falsify reports and skipping congressional budget hearings.

The second complaint was withdrawn by its 17 complainants, who shifted support to a similar complaint to streamline the process. “The complainants… have decided to formally withdraw their complaint in the interest of procedural expediency and to obviate any needless delay,” according to a letter from the group.

Ms. Luistro said dismissing the two complaints would allow the committee to assess the remaining cases more efficiently. “We can move faster this time,” she said, noting that deliberations could still take longer than previous proceedings due to the volume of documents and breadth of allegations.

Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III said he would not interfere in the committee’s work. “My role is not to pre-judge the outcome, or to influence the committee’s deliberations,” he said in a statement, adding that the House must function professionally, lawfully and transparently.

Analysts said the handling of the process would be closely watched. Political Science Professor Ederson DT. Tapia said scrutiny would focus on whether House leaders manage dissent fairly, including among Duterte allies.

“Observers should watch how the committee handles dissent and whether procedures appear impartial or driven by political expediency,” he said.

Arjan P. Aguirre, an assistant professor of political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said the institutional credibility of the House is at stake. “If the process appears rushed, dismissive or overtly partisan, it could reinforce perceptions that impeachment is a political weapon rather than a constitutional safeguard,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

The Makabayan bloc, which endorsed the first complaint, disagreed with the committee’s dismissal, saying the House has the authority to craft its own rules on impeachment. “It must not retreat, and it must not be intimidated by legal uncertainties that were not the people’s making,” Party-list Reps. Antonio L. Tinio, Sarah Jane Elago and Renee Louise M. Co said in a statement.

Former Party-list Rep. France L. Castro, one of the complainants in the dismissed case, said the committee might be erring on the side of caution to prevent Ms. Duterte from challenging proceedings at the Supreme Court. “The committee and House leadership are just being cautious,” she told BusinessWorld in Filipino.

The Justice committee will now focus on the two remaining complaints, marking the first stage in a process that could lead to a full-blown inquiry against the Vice-President.