The Philippine House of Representatives (Hor) has determined the existence of probable cause in both impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte by unanimous vote on Wednesday.
Based on videos released by Duterte in 2025 threatening to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated should something befall her, the Committee on Justice (CoJ) said the final basis for the elevation of the complaints to the HoR plenary is complete.
“We direct the committee to prepare the report as well as the corresponding resolution. We direct the secretariat to provide copies to the complainants, the respondent and the committee members,” CoJ chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro directed.
The probable cause vote was the final committee step, which would then move to the full House after CoJ’s continuation of hearing on May 4.
It followed at least two evidentiary hearings in the past weeks where documents of disallowed confidential funds disbursements by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education were entered into official records of the proceedings.
Only Duterte’s income tax records, along with husband Atty. Manases Carpio, were no openly discussed after the Bureau of Internal Revenue advised against open disclosure due to prohibitions set by law.
Duterte had consistently refused to attend the hearings, choosing instead to seek restraining orders from the Supreme Court.
Before suspension of today’s hearing, however, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima hastened to move that both remaining complaints against Duterte be consolidated “for clarity and to manage confusion” arising from having two separate impeachment complaints. Her motion was unanimously approved.
The determination of probable cause followed earlier determination of determined sufficiency of form, substance and sufficiency of grounds of impeachment.
Duterte is being charged with betrayal of public trust for alleged graft and betrayal of public trust for threatening the lives of Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and former HoR speaker and presidential cousin Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
