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House moves to impeach VP Sara Duterte as 215 endorse complaint

MANILA, Philippines (Update 2: 4:06 p.m.) — Vice President Sara Duterte is set to face an impeachment trial in the Senate after a complaint against her secured the endorsement of over two-thirds of House members on Wednesday, February 5.

This marks the first impeachment case against a sitting vice president, the country’s second-highest official after the president.  

The House of Representatives had stalled the transmission of three impeachment complaints to the Speaker’s office for two months. Lawmakers later filed a fourth complaint, which consolidated the cited grounds of the earlier three. The lead complainant was presidential son and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos. 

House Secretary General Reginal Velasco previously explained that the delay was caused by the possible filing of a fourth impeachment complaint. He told Philstar.com in a phone call that the lawmakers who endorsed the other three complaints also signed the fourth and are considered as complainants as well. 

But just before Congress suspends session again on February 7, lawmakers moved forward with the process — bypassing deliberations at the committee level.

The move not only advances the complaint, but it fast-tracks it to the Senate with the endorsement of 215 House members. At least one-third, or 102 votes, is needed. There are 306 members as of February 5.   

Prior to the endorsement, lawmakers were seen heading to Romualdez Hall for a “caucus” meeting. Rep. Mary Mitzi Cajayon-Uy (Caloocan, 2nd District) told the media in an ambush interview that they received a message from House Speaker Romualdez.

Impeachment process. Under House rules, impeachment complaints typically undergo scrutiny by the justice committee, which determines their sufficiency and allows the accused official to respond. 

The committee then submits a resolution to the plenary, where a one-third vote of all House members is needed to advance the case to the Senate. However, Wednesday’s endorsement expedited the process, automatically sending the case to trial.

The Senate, acting as the impeachment court, must secure a two-thirds vote — or at least 16 of its 24 members — to convict Duterte and remove her from

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