House plenary support for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment this 2026 could outpace the figure that was achieved last year, if Deputy Speaker Bacolod City lone district Rep. Albee Benitez's remarks are any indication.

According to Benitez, he expects more than 215 congressmen to vote for the adoption of the articles of impeachment against Duterte, which would prompt the House of Representatives to send it to the Senate and trigger an impeachment trial.

"I think it will probably be more [than 215]," Benitez said.

Earlier this week, Committee on Justice member Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon shared to reporters at least 215 lawmakers already expressed support during consultations for the impeachment of the Vice President.

This mirrored the number of solons who last year signed an impeachment complaint and moved to directly transmit it to the Senate via the constitutional "fast track" mode.

For this year, the total four impeachment complaints filed against the lady official underwent the committee track, which involved the conduct of exhaust hearings from the justice committee.

Benitez said more lawmakers have become supportive of the impeachment after the House undertook a more comprehensive and careful review of the complaints and evidence, which even strictly followed the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling and interpretation of impeachment rules.

"215 the first one. But hindi dumaan kasi ng justice committee ‘yun (But that didn't go through the justice committee). It went straight to the plenary. So now, there's been more hearings conducted and I think there's a lot of us who think it should go to trial," Benitez explained.

The deputy speaker and Visayan bloc leader said the evidence presented during the impeachment proceedings had been persuasive enough for the Committee on Justice to unanimously find probable cause and approve the committee report for plenary consideration.

"Well, I think, judging from my colleagues, more and more are being convinced that the evidence are strong. And remember, it's probable cause. It's really not to determine whether it's guilty or not," he said.

Benitez also stressed that lawmakers were increasingly concerned about long-unanswered questions on the source and movement of the vice president’s funds, as well as alleged discrepancies and undeclared assets in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

"For example, where did the money come from? Where did the money go? Why is there discrepancy or unreported SALN assets?" he asked.

“And that's the reason why I think my colleagues have seen this and through the Committee of Justice prodding and finding out all of this information. Marami talaga na-convince na siguro dapat ipadala na sa Senate for trial (A lot were really convinced that perhaps it should be sent to the Senate for trial),” he added.

Although the House impeached Duterte in 2025, a Senate impeachment trial never took place.

This year, Duterte positioned herself early as a presidential aspirant in the 2028 national elections. 

“So this impeachment should not be about personality, should not be about politics. It should be about governance. And I'm filing a bill to strengthen SALN, to be a basis for holding public officials accountable. If we don't do that, people get away with it,” Benitez said.

The House leader says that the expected two-thirds vote in favor of the adoption of the articles of impeachment is buoyed by the fact that support is spread across the different political parties.

"Almost all parties will be voting. That's how you get the number. You won't be able to get that number if it's not across multi-parties."

Only a one-third vote or 106 out of 318 House members is needed to impeach Duterte.