House justice panel to end VP Sara impeachment proceedings on April 29--solon
At A Glance
- The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are nearing its end at the committee level, with the last hearing expected to be held on April 29.
Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)
The impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are nearing its end at the committee level, with the last hearing expected to be held on April 29.
Thus, said House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, a member of the Committee on Justice.
“Ang alam ko on the 29th (What I know is on the 29th), hopefully we will wrap up,” Adiong said in a DZBB radio interview on Sunday, April 19.
Before this, the justice panel will also conduct a hearing on Tuesday, April 22. It is currently trying to determine probable cause on the two active impeachment complaints against Duterte, the second highest official of the land.
Among the allegations contained in the impeachment raps against the Vice President include threats to top government officials, misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and discrepancies in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
On the question of whether or not there's probable cause, Adiong said the matter would undergo debate.
"There will be also time for other members to elicit answers from the chairperson [Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro], would be the sponsor of this committee report," he noted.
Adiong said the committee report--essentially, the findings of the panel--may be transmitted to the plenary once the House of Representatives resumes session on May 4.
If and when Duterte gets impeached again in plenary, the next phase of the constitutional process would be a Senate impeachment trial. This trial will determine whether or not Duterte will be removed from office.
Adiong has stressed that the proceedings remain within constitutional bounds, with the justice panel currently trying to determine only probable cause and not guilt.
Duterte was impeached by the House in 2025, but a Senate impeachment trial never took place.
The 2026 impeachment proceedings against Duterte was initiated last Feb. 23, with the referral of four complaints to Luistro's panel. Most of the hearings have been held amid the chamber’s summer break.