A member of the House Committee on Justice expressed confidence that Vice President Sara Duterte will be impeached when the House of Representatives votes on the matter on Monday, citing what he described as strong evidence and growing public support for the move.
He said the impeachment case against the Vice President is backed by substantial evidence and unfavorable public opinion, which he believes could influence lawmakers’ votes.
“Wala akong duda na mai-impeach siya. Napakalakas ng ebidensiya,” Manila Rep. Joel Chua said.
His remarks came after a WR Numero survey showed that four out of 10 Filipinos believe lawmakers should vote based on what the majority of the public wants, while fewer respondents said the decision should rely solely on evidence.
According to Chua, previous surveys also indicated that many Filipinos want Duterte to undergo a Senate impeachment trial.
The House Committee on Justice has consolidated several impeachment complaints against the Vice President into four Articles of Impeachment, which are expected to be presented for plenary voting before being transmitted to the Senate.
Among the allegations raised against Duterte are claims of unexplained wealth, alleged discrepancies in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), and threats she supposedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Chua also cited an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report presented before lawmakers, which flagged billions of pesos in allegedly suspicious and covered transactions linked to Duterte and her husband over a 20-year period.
Based on the report, the AMLC identified around P6.77 billion in transactions, including P4.4 billion in inflows and P1.55 billion in outflows.
However, Duterte’s camp disputed some of the figures raised during the hearings. Lawyer Peter Paul Danao, speaking for the Vice President’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, said Bank of the Philippine Islands clarified that a previously reported P2-billion amount was actually P2 million, attributing the discrepancy to a system glitch.
Records discussed during the hearings also showed Duterte’s declared net worth increased from P7 million to P88 million over two decades. Lawmakers noted that her SALNs from 2019 to 2024 reportedly reflected no declared cash on hand or in bank.
The Vice President has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and questioned the credibility of the accusations against her.