THE House Committee on Justice is set to adopt on Monday morning its committee report finding probable cause to impeach Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, along with the corresponding resolution and Articles of Impeachment, paving the way for their transmittal to the plenary for consideration.
The panel, chaired by Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, is expected to complete its constitutional duty on the consolidated third and fourth impeachment complaints following last Wednesday’s unanimous 53-0 vote declaring probable cause.
“This Committee has completed its constitutional duty to determine probable cause based on the evidence presented. On Monday, we will formally adopt the committee report and the corresponding resolution and Articles of Impeachment and transmit them to the plenary for the consideration of the entire House,” Luistro, a lawyer, said in a statement.
At the center of the report are findings on various allegations against Duterte: these include alleged misuse of confidential funds, alleged unexplained wealth, and threats to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand G. Martin Romualdez.
Lawmakers cited evidence that Duterte allegedly misused P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds, including testimony that P125 million was disbursed within 24 hours, contradicting earlier claims.
Records from the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability pointed to an alleged “envelope system” and questionable receipts, while forensic analysis by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) indicated possible falsification of signatures.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also flagged non-existent names among listed recipients, while the Commission on Audit confirmed a final Notice of Disallowance exceeding P73 million, with potential exposure reaching hundreds of millions more.
On unexplained wealth, Luistro said the panel examined what she described as “forensic truth,” citing data from the Office of the Ombudsman showing Duterte’s declared net worth rising to about P88 million in 2024, contrasted with more than P6.7 billion in covered and suspicious transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) involving the Vice President and her spouse.
“We are dealing with official records—hindi opinyon, hindi haka-haka. These are numbers, documents, and sworn testimonies that, taken together, establish a pattern that demands accountability,” Luistro said.
Another ground stems from Duterte’s November 23, 2024 press conference, where she publicly stated that she had instructed a person to kill the country’s top officials if she were killed.
The video of the remarks was authenticated by the NBI and presented during last Wednesday’s hearing.
NBI officials, led by Director Melvin Matibag, testified that their findings—already submitted to the Department of Justice—establish that Duterte’s acts constitute inciting to sedition and grave threats, and meet the standard of a prima facie case with reasonable certainty of conviction.
Matibag also told lawmakers that the bureau is pursuing a follow-up investigation into Duterte’s claim that she had communicated with an individual to carry out the killings, treating the alleged hiring of an assassin as a serious and actual threat.
Luistro stressed that the committee’s work reflects a careful, evidence-based process.
“This is not about politics. This is about the Constitution, about evidence, and about our duty to uphold public accountability. The House will now act as one body on this matter,” she said.
Once adopted, the committee report and resolution will be transmitted to the plenary for consideration.
If approved by at least one-third of all House members, the Articles of Impeachment will be sent to the Senate, which will convene as an impeachment court.
