MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has officially certified that the impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte is constitutional, submitting the required documentation to the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday, June 26.
In compliance with the Senate’s order, the House prosecution panel submitted an enrolled copy of House Resolution No. 2346, adopted in plenary on June 11, which confirms that the impeachment proceedings adhered to the 1987 Constitution’s one-year bar rule. The constitutional provision limits the filing of impeachment complaints to one per official per year.
“The impeachment proceedings initiated on February 5, 2025, against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, fully complied with Article XI, Section 3, Paragraph 5 of the 1987 Constitution,” the House prosecutors said in their submission.
The document also emphasized that the Articles of Impeachment submitted to the Senate were valid, citing precedent from the 2012 impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Confidential Fund Controversy at the Core
The impeachment complaint stemmed from findings during a House probe, which revealed questionable liquidation reports involving P612 million in confidential funds received by Duterte’s offices (the OVP and the Department of Education) from 2022 to 2023. The reports allegedly contained inaccurate dates, unreadable and unnamed signatures, and other inconsistencies.
Although three earlier impeachment complaints had been filed by civil society groups and backed by lawmakers, these were not forwarded to the House Speaker and therefore not deemed “initiated” under the rules.
“Initiation happens only when an impeachment complaint is endorsed to the House Committee on Justice. That did not happen with the first three,” explained House Prosecution Panel spokesperson Antonio Audie Bucoy.
Fourth Complaint Deemed Valid
The fourth and current complaint, however, was endorsed by more than one-third of House members, making it automatically considered as the Articles of Impeachment. Bucoy argued this means the one-year bar rule was not violated.
“Because the first three were not referred to the Committee on Justice, this current complaint is valid under the Constitution,” Bucoy added.
House Prosecution Fully Commits to Senate Trial
In contrast to Vice President Duterte’s “Answer Ad Cautelam”—a qualified response that questions the Senate’s jurisdiction—the House prosecutors reaffirmed their full commitment to the impeachment trial. Their resubmitted Entry of Appearance stated explicitly that it came with no reservations.
“There is no reservation, limitation, or other qualification of any kind on the part of the undersigned public prosecutors,” read the House’s latest manifestation, signed by House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan.
The prosecutors also reaffirmed that the Articles of Impeachment remain lodged with the Senate and called for the issuance of summons to Duterte.
House Prepares for Rebuttal
1-Rider Partylist Rep. Ramon Rodrigo “Rodge” Gutierrez, a member of the prosecution team, stood by the constitutionality of the case and said the House is preparing a formal reply to the Vice President’s answer—possibly before the Monday deadline.
“The House is definitely preparing. We’ve gone through it and will comply within the period. It could even be earlier than Monday,” said Gutierrez, adding that the legal team has been coordinating with consultants and private prosecutors in drafting their reply.
