House impeaching VP seen ‘all but certain’
Support for the impeachment charges against Vice President Sara Duterte has swelled to more than 200 over the weekend, according to two lawmakers interviewed by the Inquirer on Sunday.
Duterte’s impeachment now is “all but certain,” according to Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, who said at least 225 lawmakers have indicated support for that move ahead of Monday’s House vote on the charges accusing the Vice President of constitutional violations and other wrongdoing.
This initial tally clears the threshold for the House of Representatives to elevate the case against Duterte to a Senate trial.
“We are ready to impeach her,” Ridon, a member of the House justice committee, said in a phone interview.
The impeachment report, which was referred to the House plenary last week, is expected to be endorsed and debated before the chamber’s 318 members vote for or against its transmittal, capping off a two-month congressional inquiry into whether there is sufficient evidence to indict Duterte.
“I’m confident that there will be a sufficient number, that more than one-third of all the members will vote in favor of the impeachment,” Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor also told the Inquirer in a phone interview.
As prescribed by the Constitution, at least one-third of the House or 106 of the chamber’s members must back the complaints against Duterte before they can be transmitted to the Senate, which will then convene as an impeachment court.
If found guilty, she will be removed from her post and perpetually banned from holding public office.
‘Discretion of the Senate’
For Ridon, Duterte’s looming second impeachment underscores the strength of the evidence against her.
He said his estimated votes could increase further. “A lot more members are convinced today,” Ridon said.
In 2025, lawmakers voted to impeach Duterte after 215 congressmen signed a complaint that bypassed the committee process, a move she later challenged before the Supreme Court, which ruled that legislators violated a constitutional safeguard barring officials from facing more than one impeachment proceeding in a year.
Ridon said the impeachment articles could be sent to the Senate immediately after Monday’s session or in the following days.
The Senate may convene as an impeachment court at the earliest by Wednesday, according to Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.
“If there will be voting at the House [today], I expect it will be transmitted to us on Tuesday. And based on SP’s statements, the impeachment court will be convened on Wednesday,” Gatchalian told reporters on Sunday, referring to Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
‘Too late’ for defense
“Right away, because he wants to convene it immediately. Although admittedly also, the Supreme Court has already issued a ruling that it’s up to the discretion of the Senate what the definition of forthwith is as long as it’s within reasonable grounds. So it’s up to the discretion of the body if they want it right away as long as there are reasonable grounds,” he added.
Defensor said Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, who heads the House justice panel, is expected to sponsor the impeachment report and its corresponding articles.
“The plenary will allow manifestations from members in support or against the committee report of the committee on justice,” the Iloilo lawmaker said, adding that he expects the vote to proceed quickly once the report is tackled by the plenary.
If Duterte’s allies oppose it on the floor, it will be “too late [for them] to defend her or present evidence” against the impeachment raps, Defensor said.
“All we have to do is vote if the Vice President should be impeached,” he said. “If you’re a supporter of the Vice President, you should have defended her at the committee on justice.”
Testimony from witnesses and financial records presented in April have bolstered the accusations that Duterte committed wrongdoing while in office, including sworn statements from Ramil Madriaga, a former campaign supporter who claimed that he served as her “bagman” who delivered bags of cash to several recipients as a way of returning favors.
The Commission on Audit also flagged how she had spent confidential funds as vice president and as education secretary, a post she held from 2022 to 2024. A bank transaction report showing billions of pesos flowing through her accounts also did not match her annual declared wealth.
Duterte has refused to participate in the justice panel’s hearings, as she claimed the impeachment effort against her was politically motivated.
“Many of the accusations were answered politically rather than through sustained factual rebuttal, and that inevitably shaped public perception,” Ederson Tapia, a political science professor, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “In impeachment proceedings, narrative matters.”
‘Ironclad case’
Ridon said the House is prepared to defend the ouster case that presents four impeachment articles against Duterte, including allegations of bribery to circumvent procurement guidelines and of unexplained wealth as well as her online death threat against President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“We have an ironclad case against the Vice President,” the lawmaker said.
The 93-page committee report outlines how Duterte allegedly committed the violations, saying her conduct “reflects a pattern of behavior inconsistent with public accountability, integrity, and fidelity to public trust.”
“The evidence on record establishes more than sufficient probable cause to impeach the Vice President,” it said.
Defensor said all the charges are supported by ample evidence, adding that the House leadership did not need to press members to back the case amid accusations that lawmakers were coerced into impeaching Duterte.
“All are solid and backed by evidence,” he said. “There’s no need for pressure, [as] the evidence presented is weighty, and it’s difficult to vote no when so much of it remains unanswered.”
“That is why I don’t see any reason for the House leadership to force members to vote yes,” he added. —WITH A REPORT FROM TINA G. SANTOS
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