No Cebu solons in panel vote on Sara’s impeachment

CEBU, Philippines —  No Cebuano legislator took part in the approval of the House Committee on Justice report and the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, as none of Cebu’s 11 representatives sit on the panel.

The committee secretariat confirmed to The Freeman that no Cebu congressman or congresswoman is a member of the Justice Committee.

The committee unanimously approved on Monday, May 4, its report and the Articles of Impeachment, securing the full support of all 55 members present during the hearing.

Committee chair Gerville Luistro formally declared the motion unanimously approved, marking the panel’s completion of its initial constitutional duty.

“Let it be placed on the record that 55 out of 55 justice members physically present manifested their support to the approval of the committee report to the attached resolutions setting forth the Articles of Impeachment as amended. The chair therefore declares the motion unanimously approved,” Luistro said.

Under committee rules, the approved report must be submitted and scheduled for plenary consideration within 10 days, paving the way for the next stage of deliberations in the House of Representatives.

The panel’s action effectively advances the impeachment process, as the report will be taken up by the plenary for debate and voting.

All 55 lawmakers who attended the hearing voted in favor of the motion, with no objections recorded.

Once elevated to the plenary, at least 106 members of the House must vote to approve the Articles of Impeachment before the case can be transmitted to the Senate for trial.

If the complaint reaches the Senate, senators will convene as an impeachment court to hear the case. A conviction could result in Duterte’s removal from office and disqualification from holding public office in the future, including a possible presidential bid in 2028.

The impeachment complaints cite alleged corruption and constitutional violations, including issues flagged in audit reports and testimonies related to Duterte’s use of intelligence funds during her tenure as vice president and as education secretary.

Duterte, in earlier interviews, denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the impeachment effort is politically motivated.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, the Office of the Vice President had yet to issue an official statement on the development. Her staff told The Freeman that the defense has not released any statement. (CEBU NEWS)