Congressmen take shortcut, erupt in applause after ensuring VP Sara impeachment

Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)

The House of Representatives–dominated by President Marcos’ allies–impeached Vice President Sara Duterte during plenary session Wednesday, Feb. 5, the final session day before the mid-term elections.

House members did so via the shortcut route—215 of them signed a fourth impeachment complaint containing a reported six articles of impeachment for Vice President Duterte’s ouster.

No less than House Speaker Martin Romualdez carried a motion from Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe to promptly transmit the duly endorsed and verified complaint to the Senate.

Only 102 signatures or one-third of the current number of sitting congressmen (306) were needed to effect the direct submission of the complaint from the House to the Senate.

Normally, an impeachment complaint has to be declared sufficient in both form and substance by the House Committee on Justice for it to prosper. This could take several hearings.

But the solons were poised to go on a lenghty break after Wednesday’s session in preparation for the May 12 polls. The House won’t reconvene until June 2.

Earlier Wednesday, majority congressmen held a caucus wherein the filing of the fourth impeachment complaint against the Vice President was finalized. House Secretary General Reginald Velasco attended the caucus.

Applause for 215 signatories

“The total number of House members who verified and swore before me this impeachment complaint is 215,” Velasco would later announce in plenary.

The solons erupted in applause.

Upon hearing this, Dalipe moved for the transmital of the complaint.

“There is a motion to direct the Secretary General to immediately endorse to the Senate the impeachment complaint having been filed by more than one-third of the membership of the House or a total of members,” Romualdez said. He carried it after hearing no objection in plenary.

“This is about upholding the Constitution and ensuring that no public official, regardless of their position, is above the law,” the Speaker—a former ally of Duterte–added.

The other three impeachment complaints–all filed last December and endorsed by minority solons–were ultimately archived via separate motion from Dalipe.

With this development, all eyes will now be on the 23-member Senate, which will have to convene into an impeachment trial court to determine whether or not the Vice President is guilty based on the trasmitted impeachment complaint.

Articles of impeachment

The complaint against Duterte revolves around six major allegations or article of impeachment, each linked to alleged violations of the 1987 Constitution, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and other laws.

These are conspiracy to assassinate President Marcos; malversation of P612.5 million in confidential funds; bribery and corruption in Department of Education (DepEd); unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets; involvement in extrajudicial killings (Davao Death Squad); and destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder.

Lawmakers classified these actions as sedition and insurrection, and cemented Duterte’s impeachment by the chamber.

A two-thirds vote by the Senate is required to convict and remove Duterte from office. If convicted, she will also be permanently barred from holding any public office in the future.