HOUSE Committee on Public Accounts Chair Terry L. Ridon of Bicol Saro Party-list on Saturday expressed confidence that the House of Representatives will secure the one-third vote needed to impeach Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, saying the threshold is “not difficult to surmount” as the case moves toward a Senate trial.
Guesting at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, Ridon said the House Committee on Justice’s 53–0 vote finding probable cause has put the chamber on track to secure the 106 votes needed to impeach the Vice President.
“‘Yung boto ng probable cause 53 votes na po ‘yun. So ang kailangan lang naman po namin 106 votes to impeach,” said Ridon, a lawyer and a member of the Committee on Justice.
Out of more than 300 House members, Ridon said reaching the required one-third vote threshold is well within reach.
“Tingin ko naman, that is a number that will not be difficult to surmount at makuha,” he said.
Ridon said the Justice panel is set to approve on Monday its committee report containing the final consolidated articles of impeachment, as well as the corresponding resolution.
“I’m quite certain in the next two weeks, magkakaroon na po ng debate sa plenaryo patungkol po sa impeachment ni Vice President Sara Duterte,” he said.
He stressed that the first order of business is to secure approval at the plenary before any move to constitute the prosecution panel.
“As soon as it is approved at the committee level, it will go to plenary by next week. So pagdedebatehan na po ‘yan at the level of the plenary,” Ridon said.
“As soon as we are done po at the level of plenary, I think within two weeks we can transmit to the Senate,” he added.
Ridon said discussions on potential public and private prosecutors will follow only after the House votes to impeach, with several names already being floated.
Aside from Ridon, those mentioned as possible prosecutors include Reps. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro (Batangas), House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan City), Rodge Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon), Joel Chua (Manila), Chel Diokno (Akbayan Party-list), Leila De Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list), House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan (4Ps Party-list), and Lordan Suan (Cagayan de Oro City).
Ridon outlined three pillars of the case: alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and threats to kill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and other top officials.
He cited a Commission on Audit (CoA) directive requiring the Vice President to personally return P448 million in confidential funds.
Ridon also pointed to financial records showing P6.77 billion in total transactions involving Duterte and her spouse, including P4.4 billion in inflows, P1.5 billion in outflows not reflected in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth, and P2.8 billion in supposed remaining balances likewise not declared.
He also cited Duterte’s repeated threats against the President, stressing that they remain serious regardless of whether they were framed as conditional.
Ridon said lawmakers will ultimately decide based on their conscience and the evidence presented, but expressed confidence that the case itself is enough to convince members.
“Sa dulo naman ho, sila ho ‘yung magpapasya batay sa ebidensya at batay sa konsensya,” Ridon said.
“But I’m quite certain kahit based na lang po on the evidence, mamili na lang sila doon sa kahit anong tatlong mga pillars, tingin ko makukumbinsi ho sila,” Ridon added.
