'Impeach raps vs Sara sufficient in substance'

House justice panel votes 54-1-0

- JOSE RODEL CLAPAΝΟ, Alexis Romero, Bella Cariaso, Daphne Galvez, Marc Jayson Cayabyab

The House committee on justice yesterday declared the two impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte sufficient in substance.

With 54 affirmative votes, one negative vote of Quezon City 4th district Rep. Bong Suntay and zero abstentions, the justice panel led by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville Luistro declared that the third impeachment complaint filed by a group led by Father Joel Saballa and the fourth by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera are sufficient in substance.

The justice committee gave Duterte 10 calendar days upon receipt of the complaints to comment on them. Duterte's camp said they would still study the complaints.

On Monday, the justice panel deemed both complaints sufficient in form.

The declaration of sufficiency in substance on the impeachment complaints formally advances the impeachment process at the House of Representatives.

The Saballa complaint, endorsed by House senior deputy minority leader and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, cites the alleged misuse of about P612.5 million in confidential funds and claims of corruption at the Department of Education when Duterte was DepEd secretary. It also revives accusations that she threatened to have President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated if she herself would be killed.

The fourth complaint, filed by Cabrera and endorsed by Deputy Speaker and La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V and Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., centers on alleged omissions in Duterte's statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) and claims of unexplained wealth disproportionate to lawful income.

Once the Vice President submits her answer, the committee will proceed to the next phase of hearings to determine whether probable cause exists to approve Articles of Impeachment.