It’s straight to the Senate.
More than one-third of the members of the Philippine House of Representatives — 215 out of 306 —signed as complainants in a new impeachment bid against Vice President Sara Duterte.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Wednesday afternoon, February 5, directed the Secretary General to transmit the impeachment complaint to the Senate.
“We are pursuing the third mode, which allows us to transmit [the complaint] directly to plenary upon securing more than one-third of the members,” Adiong confirmed to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) on Wednesday afternoon, February 5.
“All those members who signed are considered complainants,” he said.
In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.
Section 3, Article XI of the Philippine Constitution
The following House members will serve as prosecutors:
- Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky” Bitrics Luistro
- Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop
- 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez
- Manila City Rep. Joel R. Chua
- Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon
- General Santos Rep. Loreto Acharon
- 4PS Party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan
- Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan
- San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora
- Iloilo Rep. Lorenz R. Defensor
- Bukino Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores
The House members signed the anticipated “fourth impeachment complaint,” which was originally expected to be filed in early January.
The House leadership opted to secure the one-third vote to bypass the usual committee process.
“We felt that merely conducting an investigation was insufficient. The logical conclusion was to file an impeachment complaint,” Adiong said.
The move is reminiscent of the impeachment complaint against ousted President Joseph Estrada in 2000. At the time, then-House Speaker Manuel Villar Jr. transmitted the complaint to the Senate with the backing of 115 House members.
This development comes on the final session day of the 19th Congress before lawmakers go on break for the May 2025 campaign period.
“What happens next? It’s up to the Senate,” said Adiong.
“Impeachment proceedings are not tied to the current membership of the House. It’s the institution that tries and convicts. It’s a continuing process,” he added.
A January 2025 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey found that four in ten Filipinos agree that the vice president should be impeached. — PCIJ.org