An election issue: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is about public accountability — solon
MANILA, Philippines — Is Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial an election issue? Some argue it shouldn’t be, but a House prosecutor said it is, citing it tackles the issue of holding public officials accountable.
Rep. Gerville “JinkyBitrics” Luistro (Batangas, 2nd District) said Wednesday, February 12, that voters would want to know where congressional candidates stand ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
“So just like any other public officials who are seeking election or re-election. We will be judged by the people as to the position that we are taking with respect to the impeachment trial,” she said in an interview with ANC Headstart.
Former Sen. Bam Aquino, who is gunning for a Senate seat, said the impeachment is more of an issue for politicians than a priority for ordinary citizens.
“Palagay ko isyu siya sa mga politiko, ‘yung mga alyansa ngayon ay parang ‘yun po yata ‘yung nagiging isa sa malaking bagay pero honestly… hindi siya isyu nung mga kababayan natin,” Aquino said on Tuesday, February 11.
(I think it's an issue among politicians — their alliances seem to be a major factor. But honestly... it's not an issue for our fellow citizens.)
Luistro emphasized that public officials have a duty to explain their decisions and actions on matters that affect the Filipino people — like the impeachment, creation of proposed measures, votes on bills and other responsibilities.
“Let us always remember that as public officials, we are always subjected to public scrutiny. And we owe it to the people to explain, to explain our side if ever there are issues surrounding our service to our fellow Filipino people,” she said.
The impeachment process, which is the first for a vice president in the country, is an opportunity “to enlighten the Filipino people” regarding the allegations made against Duterte, Luistro added.
“So we are hoping and praying that this responsibility of the prosecution team will be appreciated by our kababayan (people) as a solemn duty towards our constituents and fellow Filipino citizens,” she said.
Luistro is among the 11 appointed House prosecutors tasked with presenting the case for Duterte’s impeachment trial when the Senate convenes as an impeachment court.
Duterte was impeached during the lower chamber’s final plenary session before Congress went on break for the 2025 election campaign period, which began on Tuesday.
A total of 215 House members — more than the one-third threshold needed to impeach a public official — endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint, which lists seven charges against Duterte.
On the fourth impeachment complaint
Luistro was also asked about the timing of the fourth impeachment complaint, which appeared sudden compared to the first three.
The first three complaints, filed by civil society members and endorsed by some minority lawmakers, had been left pending for two months before any action was taken.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco explained in early January that he had been waiting for the fourth complaint, which he had heard would be filed by lawmakers themselves — an expectation that materialized on February 5.
On the morning of Duterte’s impeachment, lawmakers attended a caucus with House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Some confirmed that it was during this meeting that they signed the fourth impeachment complaint, with the first signature coming from presidential son and Senior Deputy Leader Sandro Marcos.
At a press conference, Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Party-list) and Rep. Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo, 3rd District) revealed that party consultations had been ongoing since the first impeachment complaint was filed on Dec. 2, 2024.
For Luistro, she said she requested copies of the first three complaints to review the articles of impeachment. She noted that the first complaint was lengthy and contained multiple charges, while the second and third were relatively brief.
This, she explained, led to the drafting of the fourth impeachment complaint, which she said was not initiated by any single individual. Instead, it was a “collegial decision” made by the supermajority “through the parties’ intercession.”
“So through that meeting where the political parties were very significant, we were able to come up with our common position, most especially the 215 members of the House that we need to come up with a fourth impeachment complaint and we need to push through with this impeachment process,” she said.
Luistro believes the Senate could hold a special session to convene as an impeachment court during the congressional break, preventing further delays in the trial.
However, she also acknowledged Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s assurance that the trial would proceed even after the State of the Nation Address, which marks the start of the 20th Congress.
During the congressional break, Escudero said the Senate would review and update the rules on impeachment proceedings and begin pre-trial sessions.
Meanwhile, the House prosecution team has started reviewing evidence, identifying witnesses and drafting stipulations of fact in preparation for the trial.
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