Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio gestures during a press briefing at the Cybergate building in Mandaluyong City on September 25, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA (2nd UPDATE) — A House party-list lawmaker on Monday endorsed a civilian-drafted impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, even after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. discouraged the ouster move amid their shattered political ties. 

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Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña endorsed the impeachment complaint filed by civil society organizations and families of Tokhang victims to unseat Duterte, calling it a "critical juncture in our nation's demand for accountability.

"Panahon na para isara ng taumbayan ang bangungot na dulot ni Sara. Vice President Sara Duterte deserves to be impeached for her abuse of power and plunder of the nation's coffers," Cendaña said in a statement.

Among the complainants were Teresita Quintos Deles, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, SVD, Fr. Robert Reyes, Randy Delos Santos (uncle of Tokhang victim Kian Delos Santos), Francis Aquino Dee, among others. 

Former Sen. Leila De Lima is the group's spokesperson.

Last week, Marcos confirmed that he asked lawmakers to refrain from filing an impeachment complaint against Duterte, calling it a "waste of time."

"This is not important. This does not make a difference to even one single Filipino life. So why waste time on it,” he said.

ALLEGED VIOLATIONS

The complainants alleged Duterte committed "culpable violations of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes," all of which grounds for impeachment.

The group cited at least 20 instances where Duterte allegedly committed crimes that are considered impeachable offenses, such as:

• Failure to properly account for the ₱125 million in confidential funds granted to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022

• Refusal to attend budget hearings and answer questions regarding the OVP and DepEd budgets, violating the constitutional system of checks and balance

•Nearly P7 billion in unliquidated cash advances during her time as DepEd Secretary

"Public office is not a throne of privilege; it is a position of trust. Sara Duterte has desecrated that trust with her blatant abuses of power. This impeachment is not just a legal battle but a moral crusade to restore dignity and decency to public service," De Lima said.

Duterte and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) have been the subject of several Congressional and other inquiries after she severed ties with the administration earlier this year.

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Aside from her, her father and Marcos' predecessor Rodrigo Duterte also faced an inquiry into the alleged crimes that took place during his term, including the controversial war on drugs.

The rift escalated last week after Duterte revealed she had arranged the assassination of Marcos, the Fist Lady, and the House Speaker should an alleged plan to eliminate her succeeded. 

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The "conditional threat," as she described it, sparked condemnation and investigations.

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The Vice President insisted that she was being politically harassed for being a "threat" in the 2028 presidential elections.

HOUSE TO ACT ‘INDEPENDENTLY’

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco received the impeachment complaint at around 4:30pm, and gave assurances the lower chamber will proceed with its duties on the matter. That’s even as President Marcos Jr. previously sent a text message to allies in the lower house not to impeach the Vice President.

“It is crucial to underscore that addressing an impeachment complaint is not a discretionary act for the House of Representatives but a constitutional obligation… The House will proceed with its duties in this matter, strictly adhering to the Constitution, its rules, and the principles of due process. The House of Representatives remains committed to conducting the proceedings with transparency, impartiality, and full respect for the rule of law,” Velasco said.

He said the lower House will act “independently”, noting that the President’s message to certain House leaders was a mere “suggestion”.

“‘Yun namang kay Presidente, suggestion lang ‘yun, na masasayang lang ang oras ng House of Representatives. Hindi naman ‘yun sapilitan na pinipilit ang Congress,” the House Secretary General said.

“‘Yung mga Congressman, kasama ‘yan sa pag-iisipan nila, ‘yung suggestion ni Presidente na sayang ‘yung time ng Kongreso. Kanya-kanyang interpretation ‘yan eh. Mahirap pilitin ang members. Independent naman lahat yan. Dadaan lahat sa proseso,” he added.

House Committee on Women and Gender Equality Chairperson and Bataan 1st District Representative Geraldine Roman confirmed that her chief of staff received the text message from the Office of the President, adding that she agrees with him.

“I felt, honestly, relief, because I agree with it as I said,” Roman said.

“Pagdating doon sa statement ni President na he would rather that no impeachment be filed, I think this is acting like the father of our country. Alam niya na ilang buwan na lang naman ang natitira sa 19th Congress and napapanahon lang na pagtuunan namin ng pansin ang mga ibang issues na mas mahalaga para sa taumbayan, katulad ng pagkain at mga pangunahing bilihin, ‘yung transport sector po natin, ang mga BHWs, ang ating farmers, mga iba’t-ibang sector,” she explained.

Roman said she is not inclined to support any impeachment move, adding the lower House should focus on more important things like bringing down the price of basic commodities.

“You know, there are some representatives, who want to continue with an impeachment move, but it's a game of numbers naman dito sa House. Personally, parang hindi ako, I'm not likely, most probably hindi po ako susuporta doon dahil I agree with the President na we should focus on more important things,” she said.

House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, House Assistant Majority Leader and Taguig City 2nd District Representative Amparo Maria Zamora, and 1-RIDER Party List Representative Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez denied receiving the text message from the President.

But they downplayed it as a “plea” or an “advice”, saying the House of Representatives is duty-bound to hear out verified impeachment complaints and check their merit.

“We respect the opinion of President... However, we cannot stop anybody here from filing or any citizen from taking interest in an impeachment complaint…‘Pag mayroong nag-file, hindi naman namin pwedeng basta na lang upuan. Syempre pakikinggan din naman natin ang sasabihin ng Presidente, but we’ll also have to check kung ano man ang laman ng kung anuman ang ifa-file nila,” Zamora said.

“We listen and we respect the opinion of the President… But we have to take note, the executive branch is different from the legislative branch. And we know naman from his statement that it’s actually a plea, it’s an advice. He’s not really trying to tell the legislative what to do….This is a Constitutional mandate po. Nasa Constitution natin ‘yung process of impeachment. I think we are duty-bound… to hear out if there are any impeachment complaints filed… We have to give it due process in the sense na we hear it out, check the merits,” Gutierrez added.

“We respect the position of the President, and we value his guidance. Pero hindi ‘yun directive. It’s an appeal, actually,” Adiong noted.

IMPEACHMENT PROCESS

Under the 1987 Constitution and the House Rules, if the verified complaint/ resolution is filed by at least one-third of all House members, the plenary will endorse the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

But since the impeachment complaint against the Vice President is endorsed by only one congressman, it will have to go through the House Committee on Justice, which will determine its sufficiency in form and substance, as well as hold public hearings and evidence review.

The House Speaker has maximum of 10 session days from receipt of a verified impeachment complaint to include it in the order of business, and another three session days to refer it to the House Committee on Justice.

The committee will have maximum of 60 session days from referral to submit its findings and recommendations to the House plenary, which shall be calendared for consideration by the house within 10 session days from receipt.

Including Monday, the lower house has theoretically nine session days until December 18th… before it goes on break. It will resume session on January 13th until February 7th, before going on a nearly four-month break.

Despite this timeline, Cendaña is not losing hope.

“Kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa? Kapag gusto, may paraan. At ‘yung paraan na ‘yun ay paraan para panagutin ang mga nang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan at ninanakawan ang taumbayan…Naniniwala tayo na matindi ‘yung merits ng ating impeachment complaint. At naniniwala din tayo dito sa mga kasama natin sa Kongreso. ‘Pag nakita nila na malakas itong ating complaint, they will support it,” he said.

At the House plenary, a vote of at least one-third of all 307 House members is necessary to endorse the resolution setting forth the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

At the Senate, a favorable vote of at least two-thirds of all its members is needed to convict.

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