By Jose Cielito Reganit
MANILA – The House of Representatives Committee on Justice will resume on Wednesday what is expected to be its final hearing to determine probable cause in the two remaining impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, focusing on her 2024 public threat to have President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez killed.
The panel, chaired by Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, is also expected to rule on whether the third and fourth impeachment complaints establish probable cause for trial.
Wednesday’s hearing is seen as pivotal, as it focuses on one of the most direct and personal allegations against a sitting Vice President, grounded in her own statements.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), led by Director Melvin Matibag, has been invited to present findings from its probe into the alleged assassination threat.
The allegation stems from Duterte’s November 2024 press conference, where she issued an expletive-laden statement, saying she had arranged for someone to kill the President, the First Lady, and the then Speaker if anything happened to her.
Endorsers of the fourth impeachment complaint stressed that the threat was made on record and on video, making it a key piece of direct evidence in the proceedings.
House Committee on Human Rights chair, Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr., earlier said the alleged threat may constitute a “high crime,” noting that such a statement against a sitting President is “not a joke and not something that can be taken lightly.”
House Deputy Speaker, La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V, also underscored the gravity of the remark, saying the issue goes beyond politics and raises questions about her fitness for public office.
Members of the panel have repeatedly described the allegation as one with “resibo” (receipt), pointing to Duterte’s direct participation through her own publicly delivered statements.
Luistro has repeatedly emphasized that the panel’s task is to determine probable cause based on evidence, not political noise, likening the process to a preliminary investigation.
“This is not about conclusions. This is about whether there is enough evidence to proceed,” she said in earlier hearings.
The NBI’s testimony is expected to shed light on whether Duterte’s remarks constitute a credible and actionable threat under Philippine law.
Duterte has since downplayed her remarks, describing them as conditional and tied to concerns for her own safety.
Lawmakers, however, maintained that the totality of her statements, and the context in which they were made, must be assessed in full.
Aside from the alleged kill threat, the impeachment complaints also accuse Duterte of misusing PHP612.5 million in confidential funds and amassing unexplained wealth.
These allegations are cited as constituting culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
The committee is expected to weigh all evidence on record and decide whether probable cause exists to elevate the case to the Senate for trial.
The panel will also decide whether to open the sealed box from the Bureau of Internal Revenue containing the income tax returns of Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio. (PNA)
