2 SARA IMPEACH RAPS PASS SUFFICIENCY TEST

House justice committee to require Duterte to answer

- BY WENDELL VIGILIA

THE House Committee on Justice on Wednesday voted to declare the two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte sufficient in substance, paving the way for the continuation of the impeachment process.

After exhaustive deliberations which began on Monday, the panel chaired by Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro voted 54-1 with no abstentions in favor of the complaint filed last February 9 by a group of priests, nurses and lawyers led by Fr. Joel Saballa and endorsed by Rep. Leila de Lima (PL, ML).

Lawmakers then voted 54-1, also with no abstentions, in favor of the complaint filed by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera last February 18, which was endorsed by Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr.

Under House rules, an impeachment complaint can pass the test of determination of substance if there is a recital of facts constituting the offense charged and determinative of the jurisdiction of the committee.

Michael Poa, spokesman for Duterte’s defense team said: “At this stage, the Vice President’s legal team will carefully review the actions taken by the House and the Committee, as well as the records of the proceedings.

“For now, we will refrain from discussing the substance of the case in the media and will instead address these matters through the proper constitutional processes,” Poa added.

Only Quezon City Rep. Jesus Manuel Suntay voted against the separate motions to declare the two complaints sufficient in substance. Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who, during the deliberations, said majority of the grounds cited in the complaints did not constitute a recital of facts, voted with the majority in the end because he still found some of the grounds sufficient in substance.