Justice Committee Chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro said the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte appears to have acknowledged that the impeachment case will proceed to a Senate trial, based on statements indicating they intend to respond fully at that stage.
Luistro said the position aligns with the committee’s expectation that the case will advance once probable cause is established.
“It appears to me, doon sa kanilang press con, they are already acknowledging that this will reach a trial. Kasi they’re claiming an opportunity to scrutinize, they’re claiming an opportunity to cross-examine dahil kulang at malabo pa daw,” she said.
“Well, it seems to me that they are joining the position of the justice committee that trial is really necessary. But that will happen, of course, after the determination of probable cause,” she added.
Luistro stressed that the threshold for probable cause in impeachment proceedings is not equivalent to proving guilt, but only requires sufficient basis to move the case forward.
She also questioned the defense team’s move to challenge the committee’s jurisdiction before the Supreme Court, noting that the panel remains at the preliminary stage.
“Threshold is merely probable cause. So I don’t think that exhausting all these remedies will be necessary for us to determine its existence,” she said.
On allegations involving the misuse of confidential funds, Luistro cited Commission on Audit (COA) findings, including the final disallowance of P73 million in Office of the Vice President funds for 2022 and additional notices covering P375 million in 2023.
She said COA found insufficient documentation and justification for the expenditures, adding that if the disallowances become final, about P448 million may have to be returned.
Luistro clarified that COA restitution proceedings are separate from impeachment but may proceed in parallel.
“Magkaiba ang proceeding ng impeachment vis-à-vis itong restitution dito sa Commission on Audit,” she said. “Impeachment seeks to remove and impose perpetual disqualification… so they can proceed in parallel.”
She also cited a report from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), which flagged P6.7 billion in transactions involving Duterte and her husband from 2006 to 2025 that do not appear in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
“What is significant here… hindi mo siya makita doon sa SALN. So ang maliwanag agad dito, non-disclosure,” Luistro said.
She added that if the transactions cannot be properly explained, they may support findings of unexplained wealth, particularly given the lack of detailed disclosures on cash and bank deposits in recent SALNs.
Even if the defense argues that the amounts were included under “Others,” Luistro said this would still require closer scrutiny.
“So presenting these items… will require cross-examination,” she said. “So it is as if they’re saying, ‘Let’s go to trial so that we can explain.’”
“You will be going beyond the face value of the documents. So let’s go to trial—that’s the message that I got from the press con of the defense team,” she added.
The House Committee on Justice is set to conclude its hearings on April 29, when it will hear testimony from the National Bureau of Investigation on alleged threats attributed to Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Lawmakers are also expected to vote on whether probable cause exists to elevate the case to the Senate for trial.