A fresh round of impeachment proceedings targeting Vice President Sara Duterte has formally begun at the House of Representatives, following the referral of four complaints to the chamber’s committee on justice.
During Monday’s plenary session, the complaints were entered into the Order of Business and subsequently transmitted to the justice panel by presiding officer and Deputy Speaker Ferjenel Biron. That action activated the constitutional one-year bar, effectively prohibiting the initiation of another impeachment complaint against Duterte until Feb. 23 next year.
The justice committee is tasked with evaluating whether the complaints meet the requirements in both form and substance. According to Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, who chairs the panel, the assessment of substance will be conducted separately for each ground cited in the filings. She earlier noted that the same method was applied to two impeachment complaints previously lodged against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which were dismissed by the committee on Feb. 4.
House procedures adopted from the 19th Congress — particularly Rule II of the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings — provide that if the committee finds the complaints sufficient in substance, it must proceed to determine probable cause within 60 session days from referral. The rules further state: “Together with [its] report shall be a formal resolution of the Committee regarding the disposition of the complaint, which shall be calendared for consideration by the House within ten (10) session days from receipt thereof.”
Any recommendation issued by the justice panel will be elevated to the plenary, where a one-third nominal vote of all members is required either to approve impeachment or to dismiss the complaints. Should the House adopt a resolution to impeach, the matter will be transmitted to the Senate for trial.
Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima had earlier indicated that the complaints would move to the justice committee once session resumed. She confirmed that the committee on rules approved their inclusion in Monday’s agenda. De Lima, who serves as deputy minority leader, sits on the rules panel.
The four complaints share overlapping allegations. These include Duterte’s online death threats made on Nov. 23, 2024 against Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and then Speaker Martin Romualdez; alleged misuse of confidential funds; failure to declare assets; and other claimed violations.
This development follows a previous impeachment effort during the 19th Congress, when 215 lawmakers endorsed a fourth complaint against Duterte on Feb. 5, 2025. The Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate the same day, consistent with the 1987 Constitution’s provision that trial proceedings must commence without delay once at least one-third of House members support a complaint.
On July 25, however, the Supreme Court declared the impeachment articles unconstitutional, citing a breach of the Constitution’s one-year bar rule.
Separate from the procedural developments, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V addressed remarks made by Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, who claimed he had been instructed to endorse an impeachment complaint. Ortega rejected the assertion.
“As far as I know, the former Speaker is concentrating on his district. Recently we had a meeting, a few weeks ago, and we are concentrating on our priority bills for the party, which is Lakas,” Ortega said.
“There is no blessing [from Romualdez]. You know me, you know what we went through during the 19th Congress as part of the quad comm, as part of the blue [ribbon committee], as part of the good gov[ernment committee]. So I think it should no longer be asked why I am endorsing this fourth impeachment complaint,” he added.
Ortega, along with Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., backed the fourth complaint filed by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera on Feb. 18, submitted hours after Duterte publicly declared her intention to seek the presidency in 2028.
