The two remaining impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte cleared another procedural hurdle Wednesday after the House Committee on Justice ruled both sufficient in grounds, paving the way for formal hearings to begin.
Committee chairperson Gerville Luistro announced the panel had completed the third step of the impeachment process and would move forward to step four — the hearing proper — where submitted evidence and witnesses from both sides will be assessed before a probable cause determination is made in step five.
“We declare the conclusion of step three. Now, we proceed to step four—that is the hearing proper, and in line with that, I wish to add that the evidence and witnesses which will be presented by both parties during the hearing proper will be part of our consideration in the determination of probable cause in our step five,” Luistro said.
Scheduled hearing dates have been set for March 25, April 14, April 22, and April 29.
The two complaints — the third and fourth to be filed against the VP — were both found sufficient in substance on March 4. Wednesday’s ruling on sufficiency in grounds moves them closer to a full trial before the Senate.
The third complaint was filed by Fr. Sballa and others and endorsed by Leila de Lima, now serving as ML Party-list representative. It charges Duterte with culpable violation of the Constitution, plunder and/or malversation, betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The fourth, backed by House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante, targets the Vice President on similar grounds: constitutional violations, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
Two earlier complaints did not advance — the first was barred under the one-year rule, and the second was withdrawn after it was found to substantially overlap with the third.
