Vice President Sara Duterte might face her fourth impeachment complaint next week once office work for House of Representatives resumes, according to House Secretary-General Reginal Velasco.
In an interview, Velasco confirmed that House members are considering endorsing one of the three impeachment complaints already filed or possibly a new one. However, he declined to disclose the names of the lawmakers planning to endorse the complaints against the Vice President.
On December 2, 2024, six representatives from a civil society organization went to Velasco's office to file the first-ever impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte. The complaint accused her of misusing confidential funds and threatening high-ranking government officials.
The petitioners were accompanied by former Senator Leila De Lima, while the complaint was endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Representative Percival Sandania.
Two days later, progressive groups led by Bagong Alyansa Makabayan filed a second impeachment complaint, citing betrayal of public trust as grounds for impeachment.
Religious groups, lawyers, and non-government organizations subsequently filed a third impeachment complaint in December. This complaint alleged culpable violations of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust.
Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr., chairperson of the House Committee on Justice, which is tasked with determining whether an impeachment petition is sufficient in form and substance, stated that the House remains "blind" regarding the progress of the three complaints.
Abante expressed confidence that the required one-third vote of House members—equivalent to 106 lawmakers—could be achieved if his colleagues were convinced to support the complaints.
The Constitution allows the House to expedite the impeachment process by securing the required one-third vote of its members, bypassing committee deliberations.
In December, Velasco confirmed that the impeachment complaints were still pending in his office.
Under the rules, the House Secretary-General and the Speaker have 10 session days to act on an impeachment complaint before forwarding it to the House Committee on Rules. The Rules Committee will then refer the complaint to the Committee on Justice during a plenary session.
With the first impeachment complaint filed on December 2 and the congressional session adjourning on December 18, only nine session days have passed since its filing.
Congress is set to resume its sessions on January 13, 2025.
