Day 2 of Sara Duterte impeachment to tackle substance

MANILA, Philippines — The second day of hearings on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte started on Tuesday, with the House of Representatives’ committee on justice discussing the sufficiency in substance of the two remaining complaints.

As both the third and fourth complaints were declared sufficient in form during the hearing on Monday, the committee is expected to go by the two complaints per ground raised in determining sufficiency in substance.

This will be similar to what the panel did in tackling the two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The two remaining raps against Duterte include the petition filed by clergy members and lawyers, and the complaint from lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera.

READ: 1st impeach rap vs VP Duterte set aside for violating one-year bar rule

The third complaint was endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, while the fourth rap was endorsed by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V.

Under the third complaint, six grounds for impeachment were identified:

• alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over P500 million in confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
• alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than P112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
• alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
• alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady and the former speaker of the House
• alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
• alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection

Meanwhile, the fourth complaint lists the following grounds for impeachment:

• Culpable violation of the Constitution:
  • Subversion of the constitutional order and the system of lawful succession due to her threats to Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin 
  • Circumvention of constitutional accountability for public funds through misuse/diversion of confidential and intelligence funds and obstruction of constitutionally recognized audit and legislative oversight
  • Failure to truthfully and fully declare her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth

• Betrayal of public trust:
  • Abuse of power, cronyism, patronage, and conduct grossly inconsistent with fiduciary obligations, including misuse of CF and a pattern of non-transparency and obstruction of legitimate inquiry
  • Public conduct and threats inconsistent with the dignity and duties of a vice president

• Graft and corruption:
  • Causing undue injury to the government and/or giving unwarranted benefits through irregular disbursements and anomalous utilization of public funds
  • Inducing or causing another public officer to violate rules and regulations

• Bribery:
  • Acts consistent with the covert delivery or distribution of cash to influence official functions

• Other high crimes:
  • Acts amounting to grave misconduct and/or violations of penal statutes of such gravity

Only two complaints remain as the second group, led by Tindig Pilipinas co-convenor Kiko Aquino Dee, submitted a letter to the Office of the House Secretary General to withdraw their complaint.

READ: Second impeachment case vs Sara Duterte formally withdrawn

According to the group, they withdrew their petition and vowed to support the third complaint filed by clergy members and lawyers to expedite the proceedings.

Dee, along with the 16 other complainants, took an oath before the committee to confirm that the letter received by the committee on justice came from them.

Later on, the committee on justice voted 22-10 to set aside the first impeachment complaint from the Makabayan Coalition for allegedly violating the one-year bar rule.