VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte finally took an oath to tell the truth during the hearing of the House of Representatives committee on good government and public accountability on Monday, November 25, 2024. Duterte attended the first hearing of the panel last September 18, but she did not take an oath, before skipping the next five meetings. Photo from House of Representatives Media Bureau
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Lawmakers in the House of Representatives huddled together in a meeting about the preparations on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro gave this information in an ambush interview on Wednesday.
Castro said while she was not invited to the meeting, she heard from other House officials and members that a meeting was called to discuss the impeachment.
鈥淲e were not invited, but that might be the majority. That鈥檚 what we heard from officials,鈥� Castro told reporters in Filipino.
鈥淚t seems the majority is preparing for impeachment,鈥� she went on. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I will have to verify what impeachment complaint was used. Was it the first, second, [third] or fourth?鈥�
When asked if the House can garner 103 signatures 鈥� or the signatures of one-third of all House members that is required for an impeachment complaint to be fast-tracked 鈥� Castro said there are expectations that they can get more than that.
鈥淭hey are expecting to reach one-third of all House members which is 103, but they expect to get more signatures,鈥� she noted.
Earlier, sources told 黑料社 that the meeting was initially set up for party leaders in the House, but it has since ballooned into a caucus for majority members.
Three impeachment complaints have been filed against Duterte before the House.
On December 2, sixteen representatives of civil society organizations went to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco鈥檚 office to file the first impeachment case against Duterte.
Former Sen. Leila de Lima accompanies the聽petitioners.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Percival Cenda帽a endorsed the complaint.
According to de Lima, the complaints mention claims that Duterte was responsible for confidential fund (CF) misuse.
The documents also included the vice president鈥檚 death threats to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
READ: Sara Duterte鈥檚 kill remark vs Marcos is 鈥榓ctive threat鈥� 鈥� Palace聽
Two days later, progressive groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan filed another impeachment complaint, with the betrayal of public trust as an article of impeachment.
Castro and the Makabayan bloc endorsed the complaints.
Then on December 19, religious groups, lawyers and non-government organizations filed another complaint against Duterte before Velasco鈥檚 office.
Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado and AAMBIS-OWA Party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Colada endorsed that complaint.
None of these complaints, however, have been forwarded to Romualdez鈥檚 office.
READ: Some solons looking for endorsers to expedite VP Duterte鈥檚 impeachment聽
READ: Castro: Better if 1/3 of all lawmakers just sign the impeachment raps聽