NUP’s majority initially reluctant to back Duterte’s impeachment

MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno has admitted that the majority of their group, the National Unity Party (NUP), was reluctant at first to support the impeachment bid against Vice President Sara Duterte.

But he recounted that several party members have changed their minds and will now vote to move forward with this matter.

In an online press briefing on Wednesday, Puno said with the NUP now having 55 members in the House, around 60 percent — or at least 30 lawmakers — will be voting in favor of the Articles of Impeachment.

“So I have to be honest that in the beginning our party was mostly negative — not myself because I voted for form and substance. But most of the party was negative,” he recalled to reporters.

“Today, I think the majority is in favor of sending this to the Senate,” he gave the update.

“We will probably meet before the vote count, I think on Monday, and then we will see what the final vote will be. But right now, the situation in NUP is I think there’s a majority that are favoring the sending of these Articles of Impeachment to the Senate,” he said.

Puno, however, clarified that the agreement within NUP was for its members to consult its districts so that they can consider the people’s sentiments in making their decision regarding Duterte’s impeachment.

“We have a hard core that is still negative to the proposal. There is a middle ground of some people who want to abstain, but the last conversation we had yesterday at our meeting was that we would all go back to our constituents and have one more round of conversations with them to see how we would vote finally on this matter,” the House member said.

“Of our 55 members, I would say maybe 60 percent, a little over half. I think there’s at least 30. Well, here, it depends again on what their consultations with their districts will say,” he noted.

On Wednesday, NUP released a statement wherein Puno said that they continue to support the Marcos administration, adding that they will allow members to do a conscience vote on Duterte’s impeachment.

“We believe impeachment is a constitutional process, not a partisan exercise,” Puno said on Tuesday. “The strength of our institutions lies in allowing each member to decide freely, without undue pressure or expectation of uniformity.”

“In matters of this nature, independence must be preserved,” he noted.

“If any form of sanction or punitive measure is imposed on members for voting according to their judgment, the party will act collectively and respond in a manner it deems appropriate,” he remarked.

NUP has been vocal about the discussions revolving around Duterte’s impeachment. 

Last February 25, Puno released a statement saying that its members would likely not vote in favor of Duterte’s impeachment as they have not seen any new evidence presented in the four complaints filed before the House.

Despite this statement from the NUP, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor — a party member — said that he would not alter his stand about Duterte being liable for betraying public trust.

Defensor, a prosecutor in the first attempt to impeach Duterte, believes that there is strong evidence to prove that the vice president committed betrayal of public trust after she admitted to contracting an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

READ: Defensor: I won’t change views on Duterte impeachment despite NUP stand

A day after, Puno clarified that the NUP members will vote accordingly in Duterte’s impeachment if they deem the evidence against her to be strong.

READ: NUP unlikely to support Sara Duterte’s impeachment 

Then just this May 1, NUP member and Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano said he believes NUP will allow its members to vote based on their principles.

“Up to now, I still believe that the NUP’s stand is to still allow a conscience vote,” Valeriano said.

Several sources privy to conversations within the House believe the chamber can come near or match the 215 signatures that signed the first impeachment bid against Duterte in 2025, with many lawmakers already signifying intent to back the committee report.

One of those who believe that the 215 figure is attainable is Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who said this in an ambush interview on Monday.

Meanwhile, one insider who works close to lawmakers believes that there may be much work to secure 200 affirmative votes, but it is possible.  

Another source, meanwhile, said that they have already secured 200 signatures.

As of now, what is clear is that 55 lawmakers will support Duterte’s impeachment, as earlier, 55 lawmakers on Monday voted in favor of a motion to approve the committee report from the justice panel.

The committee report contains the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte, hinged on allegations of confidential fund misuse, bribery to public officials, unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets, and threats to the Marcos couple and Romualdez. /apl