The House Committee on Justice is set to focus on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged death threat against top government officials as it moves closer to deciding whether impeachment complaints against her warrant a Senate trial.
In what is expected to be its fourth and final hearing, the panel will reconvene on April 29 to review remaining allegations and determine probable cause in the two pending complaints.
Committee chair and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro said the proceedings will assess whether the evidence on record is sufficient to elevate the case, stressing that the process mirrors a preliminary investigation rather than a political exercise.
At the center of the hearing is Duterte’s controversial statement during a November 2024 press conference, where she allegedly said she had arranged for someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez if harm came to her.
Lawmakers backing the complaint said the statement, delivered publicly and captured on video, constitutes direct evidence that must be carefully examined.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), led by Director Melvin Matibag, has been invited to present its findings on whether the remarks amount to a credible and actionable threat.
Some lawmakers described the allegation as among the most serious in the case. Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said such a statement against a sitting president could constitute a “high crime,” while La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V said the issue goes beyond politics and touches on the Vice President’s fitness for office.
Duterte has downplayed her remarks, saying they were conditional and made in the context of concerns for her safety. Lawmakers, however, said the full context and implications must still be examined.
Beyond the alleged threat, the complaints also cite the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds and possible unexplained wealth—issues lawmakers said could constitute betrayal of public trust, graft, and other high crimes.
The panel is also weighing whether to open a sealed submission from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) containing the income tax returns of Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio. The BIR said such documents may only be examined in executive session under existing tax laws.
Despite this, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said discrepancies in available records—including Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), data from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), and corporate filings—already raise serious concerns.
“Even without the BIR records, the numbers are not lining up,” Chua said, pointing to gaps between declared assets and reported financial activity.
Lawmakers said assessing unexplained wealth requires examining Duterte’s financial history over time, not just current disclosures.
The committee is expected to consolidate all evidence and decide whether there is sufficient basis to elevate the impeachment case to the Senate for trial, a move that could shape the next phase of one of the country’s most closely watched political proceedings.