Enough signatures have been gathered to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, a House official and multiple congressional sources said on Wednesday, February 5.
The first source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Rappler that 206 lawmakers as of past 2 pm supported the impeachment complaint, which is expected to be read in the plenary before the House adjourns session on Wednesday night, in time for the three-month-long campaign period.
A second source told Rappler that the tally was at 195, while House Secretary General Reginald Velasco put the number at 153, but that signatures are still “coming in.”
Rumors started swirling on Tuesday, February 4, that an effort to gather 102 signatures — equivalent to one-third of the House — was ongoing.
By Wednesday morning, security cordoned off the hallway leading to Romualdez Hall, the venue of an impromptu meeting among lawmakers in the majority.
OFW Representative Marissa Magsino said there was a caucus, while Deputy Majority Leader Janette Garin called it a party consultation.
Assistant Majority Leader Pammy Zamora said she received a vague invitation that said, “See you at Romualdez Hall,” while Caloocan City 2nd District Representative Mitch Cajayon-Uy confirmed the notice came from Speaker Martin Romualdez’s office.
This development still has to be finalized in the plenary. As of posting time, Duterte has not been indicted by the House, and the number of signatures may still increase or decrease.
If the impeachment pushes through, the articles of impeachment will be transmitted to the Senate, which will have to put Duterte on trial.
Duterte has been under intense scrutiny after a months-long congressional probe uncovered anomalies in her public expenditures as vice president and when she was education secretary, a position she held until she resigned in June 2024.
In December, three separate impeachment complaints were filed against her, accusing Duterte of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
However, the non-referral of the petitions by the House secretary general to Romualdez, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pronouncements that he was against Duterte’s impeachment, cast doubts on the strength of the impeachment effort. – Rappler.com