Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro is banking on the Committee on Rules to release soon its amended guidelines on the impeachment process in the House of Representatives.

This, as the legislature faces the possible scenario of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment--the second of her term--via the fast-track mode as early as during plenary House session Monday, Feb. 9.

Luistro, in an interview with House of Representatives reporters Friday, Feb. 6, said the new rules will guide the congressmen on how to handle the proceedings in light of the Supreme Court's (SC) two decisions on the failed 19th Congress impeachment case against Duterte.

Senior Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 3rd district Rep. Lorenz Defensor of the rules committee is leading the revision of the impeachment guidelines in response to the SC rulings. 

Earlier Friday, it was reported that House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil already transmitted the two filed impeachment raps against Duterte to the office of Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III. 

Asked if she thinks the amended rules must be issued before the impeachment complaints get included in the order of business during plenary session Monday, Luistro answered: "That is correct. So that the entire institution will be guided."

Luistro said that between the SC's decision on July 25, 2025 and Jan. 28, 2026, there were "many gray areas" as well as a lack of consistency with the existing rules of the House.

"But I am certain because the people in the rules [committee] are cognizant about this. I am positive that they will find ways to be able to reconcile the decision of the [SC] with the exclusivity of the power of the House of Representatives to initiate all impeachment cases," she said.

Luistro and other House members like Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima acknowledged that the House members could opt on Monday to directly transmit to the Senate the impeachment complaints against Duterte through the endorsement of one-third (105) of the solons sitting in plenary.

But the Committee on Justice chairperson advised her colleagues to be cautious with this method, since the complaint that was struck down by the high court last year was brought up to the Senate using this same mode.

"The necessary caution needs to be observed kasi dyan nagkaroon ng requirement ang ating [SC] in the first decision (July 25, 2025) na dapat mabigyan ang notice ang respondent at dapat mabigyan ang pagkakataon ang respondent to file an answer to the impeachment complaint," Luistro said.

(The necessary caution must be observed, because that is where our [SC], in its first decision, established the requirement that the respondent must be given notice and afforded the opportunity to file an answer to the impeachment complaint.)

"And then with respect to the recent resolution (Jan. 28, 2026), you would remember, inemphasize nila yung need na ang evidence (they emphasized the need that the evidence) must be attached to the impeachment complaint and that the same must be sufficient to support the impeachment complaint," she explained.

She added: "I am a conservative lawyer, I stick to the rules and since we are talking about impeachment and the decision and the resolution both pertains to impeachment process, I am inclined to observe the requirements provided both under the constitutional and in the resolution of the [SC] without of course compromising the independence of the House of Representatives."

Aside from the fast-track mode, impeachment proceedings can be initiated by the referral of the complaints to the justice committee. If this happens, the Luistro panel would have to schedule hearings to determine whether or not the two complaints against Duterte are sufficient in form and in substance.