5-2-2025 (MANILA) Officials have confirmed that a fourth impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte has garnered substantial support, surpassing the required threshold for parliamentary consideration.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco revealed on Wednesday that the latest impeachment initiative has secured endorsements well beyond the mandatory 102 signatures, with preliminary figures suggesting approximately 153 lawmakers backing the motion. The exact count remains undisclosed pending its presentation to the plenary.
The fresh complaint, yet to be formally submitted, follows three previous impeachment attempts filed in late 2023, all centring on alleged improprieties in the Vice President’s management of confidential funds.
“Once approved, the Articles of Impeachment will proceed directly to the Senate,” Velasco explained, outlining the constitutional process that would trigger a formal Senate trial should the measure advance.
The revelation emerged amid reports of a closed-door caucus held Wednesday morning at the Romualdez Hall, though lawmakers offered varying accounts of the meeting’s agenda. House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro acknowledged that impeachment matters were likely to be discussed, whilst others, including House Assistant Majority Leader Amparo Maria Zamora, expressed uncertainty about the gathering’s specific purpose.
However, the timing of these developments has sparked debate about their feasibility. Camarines Sur Representative Gabriel Bordado Jr, a supporter of previous impeachment efforts, voiced concerns about the parliamentary calendar. “With Congress entering a four-month recess, time constraints pose a significant challenge to advancing these proceedings,” he noted.
The political momentum behind the impeachment push appears to reflect public sentiment, with recent polling by Social Weather Stations indicating 41% of Filipinos favouring Duterte’s impeachment, while 19% remain undecided.
The House is scheduled to adjourn on 7 February and will not reconvene until 2 June, leaving a narrow window for procedural advancement. For the impeachment to progress directly to the Senate, it requires the endorsement of at least 103 House members, a threshold that appears to have been met with the latest filing.
