ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo. Photo from Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo said he did not back the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte as there is a high chance that he may be elected senator in the May 2025 elections, which means he would be a senator-judge during the trial.
In a statement on Thursday, Tulfo said he did not affix his signature so that his judgment would be impartial should he win in the upcoming polls.
鈥淥n not signing the impeachment complaint against VP Sara Duterte: I did not affix my signature to the impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte to ensure that my judgment remains impartial should I become a senator-judge,鈥� he said.
鈥淎s a top contender in the upcoming senatorial elections, I may be among the new senators tasked with judging the said impeachment complaint. When that time comes, I will meticulously examine every piece of evidence presented before the body,鈥� he added.
According to Tulfo, he will remain 鈥渟teadfast in advancing [his] advocacies to improve the lives of Filipinos鈥�
by pushing for policies that will promote healthcare and education, lower the prices of goods, and enhance social welfare.
Tulfo is leading the Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS) surveys.
In the Pulse Asia polls, 57 percent of respondents picked Tulfo as one of the 12 senators they would vote for.
READ: Rep. Tulfo, Sotto top choices for 2025 Senate race 鈥� survey
Tulfo is also the top bet according to SWS, with 45 percent of respondents choosing him.
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On Wednesday afternoon, a fourth impeachment complaint was verified and sent immediately to the Senate after 215 lawmakers endorsed it.
Under the 1987 Constitution, an impeachment complaint could be forwarded to the Senate for a trial if over one-third of all House members 鈥� 102 out of 306 鈥� signed and endorsed the petition.
READ: House impeaches VP Sara Duterte, fast-tracking transmittal to Senate
The issues cited in the first three impeachment raps against Duterte were used as grounds for the fourth complaint.
Copies of the fourth impeachment complaint showed that there were seven articles of impeachment:
- Betrayal of public trust, commission of high crimes due to her threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez
- Betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption due to the misuse of confidential funds of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Office of the Vice President (OVP)
- Betrayal of public trust and bribery within the DepEd
- Violation of the 1987 Constitution and betrayal of public trust due to unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets
- Commission of high crimes due to involvement in extrajudicial killings in the drug war
- Betrayal of public trust due to alleged destabilization plots and high crimes of sedition and insurrection
- Betrayal of public trust due to her unbecoming conduct as Vice President
READ: First impeachment complaint vs VP Sara filed at House