Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of The Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024, after skipping on the same day a National Bureau of Investigation probe on her remarks of having  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated should she be killed. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte is already "certain" and will be filed by religious groups next week, a House lawmaker confirmed Thursday.

"We just heard from one of our colleagues that a group of religious people would file next week... It's already certain to be submitted next week," ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro told ANC's Headstart.

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco already said on Monday that a "religious group" was expected to file the third impeachment complaint against Duterte, but did not give further details as to which religious group and when they will file the complaint.
House Sec-Gen: Religious group expected to file 3rd impeachment complaint vs. VP Sara Duterte

The first impeachment complaint against Duterte was endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña while the second was backed by Makabayan bloc lawmakers.

Castro said the two complaints have yet to be forwarded to the Office of the House Speaker.

"That's why the first 2 impeachments filed a few days ago ay hindi pa siya tina-transmit sa Office of the Speaker kasi inaantay pa 'yung pangatlo... Kasi pag sinubmit 'yung dalawa kapag wala pa yung pangatlo baka ma-technical," she said.

House majority yet to discuss Sara Duterte impeachment

(They are waiting for the third complaint before they submit it to the Office of the Speaker to avoid issues on technicality.)

Velasco earlier said they are awaiting the comments and recommendation of their legal department before transmitting the verified complaints to the Office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. He added that they can only refer verified complaints to the Office of the House Speaker.

With only 3 sessions left before Congress goes on Christmas break, Castro said she was not optimistic that the impeachment complaint will be transmitted to the Senate anytime soon.

Duterte ‘welcomes’ impeachment complaints against her

However, she said the House Committee on Justice, which would first tackle the complaints, can convene even during the break to fast track the proceedings.

"Puwede naman after Christmas mag-convene ang Justice committee o Congress para desisyonan 'yan at i-transmit sa Senado," Castro said.

Among the impeachable offenses cited in the complaints against Duterte is betrayal of public trust after the Vice President allegedly committed gross abuse of discretionary powers" over the P612.5 million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education from December 2022 until the third quarter of 2023.  

House panel to end probe into VP Sara Duterte's confidential funds as impeachment looms

Duterte has said she "welcomes" the filing of impeachment complaints against her.

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