A second impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte is filed before the House secretary general, endorsed by three congressmen from the Makabayan bloc. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA (UPDATED) — Members of the Makabayan bloc at the House, who endorsed the second impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, announced Thursday they are already working to secure votes from fellow lawmakers.

The bloc, which includes Gabriela, ACT Teachers Party-List and Kabataan Party-List, is aiming at getting at least a third of the 318-member House of Representatives to support the Resolution of Impeachment against Duterte.

"According to the Constitution and the House rules on impeachment, securing the signatures of 106 representatives will automatically transmit the Resolution to the Senate for trial," they said in a press release.

Apart from the resolution of impeachment, proceedings may also be initiated by a complaint filed by or endorsed by at least one member of the House. Those complaints will need to go through committee hearings and debates on the floor.

The coalition is urging colleagues at the House to "act with integrity and political courage" by supporting the impeachment resolution, saying it is up to the House to "fulfill its constitutional duty to hold erring public officials accountable."

Makabayan bloc also asked the Senate to "prepare for an impartial and transparent trial" if the complaints reach them.

READ: Escudero tells senators to keep mum about impeach raps vs VP Duterte

"This impeachment process is a critical test of our commitment to justice and accountability for the highest public officials. Let this serve as a strong message that no one, not even the Vice President, is above the law,” said ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro.  

"Ang laban na ito ay laban ng bawat Pilipino laban sa katiwalian. Dapat managot si VP Duterte sa kanyang mga kasalanan sa taumbayan,” Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas added.  

(This fight is one for every Filipino against corruption. VP Duterte must be held accountable)

HOUSE LEADER: NO LOBBYING IN HOUSE MAJORITY

Meanwhile, a leader of the House majority bloc said Thursday that there have been no discussions in their group on the impeachment complaints against Duterte.

“Talagang sabi ko nga po, we’ve been very focused on the hearings. ‘Yun pa rin po ang goal, ‘yun pa rin po ang thread ng focus namin sa majority,” Deputy Majority Paolo Ortega V of La Union said.

(As I said, we really have been focused on the hearings. That is still the goal, that is the thread of focus in the majority)

The Makabayan lawmakers are part of the minority bloc of the House, where the Marcos Jr. administration has majority support.

The House has been investigating Duterte for alleged irregularities in the use of confidential funds, with hearings raising questions about whether supposed recipients of the funds actually exist.

Ortega said that while the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has raised potentially "impeachable" issues, the majority has not talked about the complaints filed at the House this week.

“Ang trabaho po namin, we’re constitutionally mandated na aktuhan po ‘yan lalo ’pag na-refer na ‘yan,” Ortega said. 

(Our job is we're constitutionally mandated to act on those, especially once they are referred to a committee already)

He added that impeachment complaints have a procedure to follow and will not be decided by just one person.

“Boto po ng buong House at ibabato po natin sa Senate, then depende po sa progress ng mga na-file na impeachment complaints.”

(That will be voted on by the House and sent to the Senate, then it will really depend on the progress of those who filed the impeachment complaints)

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, who also hit back against Duterte over an alleged kill plot, has recently confirmed he discouraged lawmakers from filing impeachment raps against his running mate, saying it is only "a waste of time".

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), an allied multisectoral formation, led the filing of the second impeachment case against Duterte with more than 70 complainants from various sectors Wednesday.

They cited "betrayal of public trust" as their lone ground for impeachment, supported by three issues regarding the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and then-Department of Education's (DepEd) alleged misuse of confidential funds.