From the Website of PNA
links https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1243421
House of Representatives impeaches Vice President Duterte
During the plenary session, Secretary General Reginald Velasco said at least 215 members of the House had verified and sworn before him in support of the fourth impeachment complaint.
House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe said the number of endorsers exceeded the one-third threshold required under the Constitution and House rules on impeachment proceedings.
"Mr. Speaker, for the record, in consonance with the Constitution on Article 11 on accountability of public officers, particularly Section 3, paragraph 4, and pursuant to Section 14, Rule 4 of the Rules of Procedure in Impeachment Proceedings, which provides as follows: endorsement of the complaint resolution to the Senate. A verified complaint resolution of impeachment filed by at least one-third of all the members of the House shall constitute the articles of impeachment," Dalipe said.
"And consistent with our rules, I move that the Secretary-General be directed immediately to endorse the same to the Senate," he added.
Speaker Martin Romualdez approved the motion to transmit the impeachment complaint to the Senate.
"There is a motion to direct the Secretary-General to immediately endorse to the Senate the impeachment complaint. Having been filed by more than one-third of the membership of the House, or a total of 215 members, is there any objection? The Chair hears none. The motion is approved. The Secretary-General is so directed," Romualdez said.
With the plenary's approval, the impeachment complaint has now been officially transmitted to the Senate, where the trial will be conducted.
Meanwhile, the three other impeachment complaints filed against Duterte last December will be archived, the House leadership said.
The House also appointed 11 members to serve as prosecutors in the impeachment trial, namely Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro, Rep. Romeo Acop, Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, Rep. Joel Chua, Rep. Raul Angelo "Jil" Bongalon, Rep. Loreto Acharon, Rep. Marcelino Libanan, Rep. Arnan Panaligan, Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora, Rep. Lorenz Defensor, and Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores.
The impeachment complaint against Duterte revolves around six major allegations, each linked to alleged violations of the 1987 Constitution, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and other laws.
Conspiracy to kill the President, First Lady, Speaker
One of the most damning accusations involves an alleged plot by Duterte to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Romualdez.
House investigators presented evidence of Duterte’s public admissions, where she allegedly claimed she hired an assassin to kill top government leaders.
Duterte had also previously spoken about “imagining” the decapitation of the President, statements that fueled national security concerns.
Lawmakers argued that allowing Duterte to remain in office poses a direct threat to national stability, making impeachment necessary.
Malversation of PHP612.5-M in confidential funds
Duterte is accused of misusing and illegally disbursing PHP612.5 million in confidential funds during her tenure as vice president and Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.
Investigators found:
-- PHP254.8 million in questionable disbursements under the Office of the Vice President (OVP), linked to 1,322 fictitious beneficiaries with no birth records; and
-- PHP43.2 million in alleged ghost transactions involving 405 fake names under the DepEd confidential fund.
Special Disbursing Officers (SDOs) testified that they were ordered to hand confidential funds to unauthorized individuals.
These blatant financial irregularities constitute technical malversation, graft, and corruption, forming a strong case for impeachment, lawmakers said.
Bribery and corruption in DepEd
Duterte is also accused of bribery and financial manipulation within the DepEd.
Lawmakers said evidence suggests she approved monetary gifts and bribes to high-ranking officials handling procurement and bidding processes.
Among those implicated are former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil-Mercado (Procurement head); Bids and Awards Committee member Resty Osias; DepEd Chief Accountant Rhunna Catalan; and SDO Edward Fajarda.
Investigations further showed that lawyer Reynold Munsayac, Duterte’s former spokesperson, attempted to rig the DepEd Computerization Program in favor of preferred contractors, an act violating Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
Unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets
Scrutiny of Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) showed a quadrupling of her net worth from 2007 to 2017, without a legitimate increase in income; at least PHP2 billion in suspicious transactions linked to joint bank accounts shared with former president Rodrigo Duterte; and total unexplained income of PHP111.6 million from 2006 to 2015.
Failure to fully disclose assets and sources of income is a culpable violation of Section 17, Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, further justifying her impeachment.
Involvement in extrajudicial killings (Davao Death Squad)
Former police officer SPO4 Arturo Lascañas has testified that Duterte was involved in the Davao Death Squad (DDS) during her time as mayor of Davao City.
According to Lascañas, Duterte personally ordered assassinations under Operation Tokhang and bodies of victims were secretly buried in mass graves at Laud Quarry.
Lawmakers said these allegations tie Duterte to gross human rights violations and strengthen the impeachment case under crimes against humanity and abuse of authority.
Destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder
Duterte is also accused of engaging in acts aimed at destabilizing the Philippine government, including:
-- Boycotting the State of the Nation Address (SONA) while declaring herself “designated survivor”;
-- Leading rallies calling for President Marcos Jr.’s resignation;
-- Publicly defending fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a known ally accused of serious crimes;
-- Obstructing congressional investigations by ordering subordinates not to comply with subpoenas; and
-- Threatening bodily harm against the President, First Lady, and Speaker Romualdez.
Lawmakers classified these actions as sedition and insurrection, further cementing Duterte’s impeachment.
A two-thirds vote by the Senate is required to convict and remove Duterte from office.
If convicted, she will also be permanently barred from holding any public office in the future.
Plenary action needed
Any impeachment complaint filed against Duterte must undergo plenary action before proceeding further, senators said Wednesday.
Senator Joel Villanueva explained that the Senate must first take up the matter during a regular session, emphasizing that even the establishment of an impeachment court requires plenary approval.
"There has to be a plenary action first. Everything we do, including the declaration of senators sitting as an impeachment court, needs plenary action. It is the plenary action that will give us the go signal," Villanueva said.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa said the impeachment complaint would likely be taken up after the midterm elections on May 12, based on informal discussions with Senate President Francis Escudero and other senators.
"Most likely, if the articles of impeachment are transmitted to us, we will already be on break. So, the earliest we can tackle that in plenary is after the elections," he said.
Asked if the Senate could take up the complaint during recess, Dela Rosa said it would depend on the impeachment rules yet to be discussed.
"That’s something we will discuss. Let’s see. But from what I’ve heard in our discussions, it seems likely that we will tackle it after the elections," he added.
The Senate is set to hold its last regular session Wednesday before resuming on June 2. (With reports from Wilnard Bacelonia/PNA)
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