THE House Committee on Justice approved on Monday, May 4, 2026, the committee report and the accompanying resolution containing the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, paving the way for the voting of the House plenary.
All the 55 members of the committee approved the motion, which was raised by House Deputy Speaker Quezon's Second District Jayjay Suarez, finalizing the panel’s earlier ruling finding probable cause on the two impeachment complaints against Duterte.
The panel consolidated the two impeachment complaints against Duterte which similarly accused her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violations of the Constitution, and misuse of public funds in connection with alleged irregularities involving confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education during her tenure as department secretary.
Also cited in the complaints were the threats Duterte made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
House justice committee chairperson and Batangas Second District Representative Gerville Luistro maintained that the committee followed the Constitution and honored the impeachment process.
“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,” she said.
Luistro expressed confidence that the panel was able to come up with a strong impeachment case against Duterte.
“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,” she said.
(We still have a long path to take toward the plenary and the Senate. But we are no longer groping in the dark. We have already uncovered many things, we have already revealed many details, and we will not let all of this go to waste. The process must continue, because this is what justice demands. Because only then can we truly achieve accountability.)
Among the testimonies made during the impeachment deliberation of the justice committee were:
By Ramil Madriaga (the alleged former bagman of Duterte):
* Links Manases Carpio, husband of Duterte, to the controversial 2018 shipment of magnetic lifters found to contain billions worth of illegal drugs
* P125 million in confidential funds of the DepEd in 2022 was spent only within 24 hours, not 11 days as earlier reported
* Pharmally Pharmaceuticals and former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang were among those who funded the 2022 campaign of Duterte
* Accuses the family of Duterte of plotting a scheme to unseat or even execute President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Anti-Money Laundering Council:
* Reveals P6,771,227,712.95 worth of covered and suspicious transactions in accounts linked to Duterte
* Confirms existence of transactions allegedly linked to the Dutertes and alleged drug lord Sammy Uy
Office of the Ombudsman:
* Despite an obviously rapid increase in the net worth from 2019 to 2024, Duterte and Carpio have no reported cash on hand during the said period
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV:
* Accuses Duterte family of receiving around P181,653,487.36 from Uy, as well as for having ill-gotten wealth
(TPM/SunStar Philippines)