IMPEACHMENT endorser and Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante, Jr. on Saturday expressed confidence the House can muster the numbers to transmit the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte to the Senate, saying the chamber has “more than enough” votes to clear the one-third threshold once the case reaches the plenary.
“More than enough, yes,” Abante said during the Saturday Media Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City when asked whether the House of Representatives has the numbers.
Abante, chair of the House Committee on Human Rights and a co-chair of the House’s Quad Comm, traced what he described as the expected route of the complaint inside the chamber, beginning with the referral process that will set the pace for deliberations and, ultimately, the floor vote that will determine whether the Senate convenes as an impeachment court.
“The Committee on Rules will give it to the Committee on Justice. The Committee on Justice would deliberate on that, maybe for two or three days. And after that, it will be put into the vote in the plenary, ang kailangan lang naman 1/3 eh,” Abante, who chairs the House Committee on Human Rights, said.
The fourth verified impeachment complaint against Duterte was filed by Atty. Nathaniel G. Cabrera and endorsed by Abante and Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V.
Abante argued the math is straightforward and within reach, pointing to previous support levels and the constitutional threshold for approval, while stressing that the House does not need an overwhelming number to move the case forward.
“So, iniisip ko, in the 1st impeachment complaint, more than 200 (215) congressmen signed the 1st impeachment complaint. So, I don’t think mahihirapan ito na maka abot dahil out of 311 congressmen, 105 lang ang kailangan. Eh 1/3 to be able to pass it and let it go to the Senate for the impeachment court. So, palagay ko we are in a proper position at this point in time,” Abante said.
“It might not be the same number. Iniisip ko na hindi magiging pareho ang numero pero it only takes about 1/3 of the members of the House to let it pass. So, palagay ko makukuha namin iyon,” he added.
Abante also indicated that once the chamber votes, the next step would be immediate transmission, describing it as a direct line from the House floor to the Senate once the threshold is met.
“Ipapasa na iyon, directly sa Senado after the vote in the plenary. Iyon na talaga ang maaaring mangyari,” he said.
At the same time, Abante said House action will be guided by timing and rules, including the Supreme Court’s guidance on how the constitutional one-year bar and the counting of days should be applied, an issue that has shaped the calendar for impeachment moves.
“Ang status naman, sinabi naman ng Chairman of the Committee on Justice na meron pang 10 days, 10 session days. So, sabi ko we have to abide by the ruling of the Supreme Court. Hindi naman natin puwede deadmahin iyan. So, whatever the Supreme Court so decided, which is the interpretation ng batas, eh dapat sundin ng Congress iyan,” Abante said.
He added that based on his understanding of the process, the complaint’s path is already laid out, beginning with its filing and receipt, then moving to the Speaker’s office, and eventually to the Committee on Rules for the referral that triggers committee-level action.
“So, ang gagawin niya, after the filing of the 4th impeachment case sa Sec. Gen. papasok iyan sa office ni Speaker. And then, palagay ko pumasok na eh. And then afterwards, it will go to the Committee on Rules,” Abante said.
Pressed on whether the Senate will be a tougher hurdle, Abante acknowledged uncertainty, noting the higher vote requirement for conviction, but said he hopes senators will treat the case as a matter of evidence and substance rather than sheer politics.
“Actually, it remains to be seen ‘no, Medyo may pangamba rin sapagkat it will take 18 votes for the Senate, 18 for the Senate to convict. So, we will find out. Hopefully, this will not only be a political ploy. Iniisip naming diyan that the Senators will appreciate the facts, the evidence, the substance of the impeachment complaint,” he noted.
In endorsing the complaint, Abante pointed to his involvement in past inquiries and his view that the Vice President has not addressed key allegations, arguing that the impeachment process, at its core, creates a venue for answers that he said were not provided in earlier opportunities.
“And not only that, but when it comes to the appreciation of the complaint, nakita ko naman eh. That’s why I endorsed it sapagkat naniwala ako dun sa complaint mismo eh. Ako yung co-chair ng Quad Comm, inimbestigahan namin yan. Ako din yung vice chair ng Good Government. Ang ating Vice President, she did not take an oath. Hindi niya sinagot ang mga alegasyon. Siguro kung sinagot niya, baka okay na,” Abante said.
“Pero now is the time for the Vice President to answer all the allegations. Meron na siyang pagkakataon ngayon,” Abante said.
The 4th complaint centered on allegations that Duterte failed to fully disclose assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) and may have amassed unexplained wealth disproportionate to her lawful income.
The complaint accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery and other high crimes.
At the core of the new filing are allegations that certain assets, bank accounts, cash holdings and property transactions were either omitted, understated or not fully reflected in her SALNs.
The complaint argues that the Constitution requires full transparency from high public officials and that any material nondisclosure or accumulation of wealth manifestly disproportionate to legitimate income constitutes an impeachable offense.
The complainant is seeking a forensic review of bank records, property transfers and related financial documents to determine whether public funds were converted into private assets and whether her declared net worth accurately reflects her true financial position.
The unexplained wealth allegations are linked to broader claims of irregular confidential fund disbursements amounting to at least ₱612.5 million from December 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, covering both the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The complaint cites the rapid encashment of ₱125 million in December 2022 — allegedly liquidated within 11 days — and subsequent findings by the Commission on Audit (COA) flagging irregularities.
COA later issued notices of suspension and disallowance covering ₱73.287 million in questioned expenditures.
