It's Official: Sara Duterte's Impeachment Passes Substance Test in Historic 54-1 Vote

The House committee on justice voted an overwhelming 54-1 on Wednesday, March 4, to declare two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte sufficient in substance — a landmark step that keeps the proceedings very much alive and inches the country closer to a full public trial.

Quezon City 4th District Rep. Bong Suntay was the lone dissenter, casting the only 'no' vote with zero abstentions. The lopsided result stands in stark contrast to the impeachment bid against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last month, when neither of the two complaints filed against him even survived the same substance test — granting Marcos a constitutional one-year immunity from impeachment.

Both complaints allege unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential funds, bribery of government officials, and making public threats against the President. The first was endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, while the second was backed by Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega and Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante.

So ano ang next? The committee will now send Duterte a copy of the complaints and give her 10 session days to file an answer. If she doesn't respond, it'll be assumed she's denying everything. A series of exchanges between her camp and the complainants will follow before the committee decides whether a full public hearing is needed. The panel has 60 session days total from the February 23 initiation to make a final call.

This is the second impeachment attempt against the VP — the first was in February 2025, when a single petition got enough House support for a shortcut. This time, with no petition hitting that threshold, Congress is taking the longer committee route. The National Unity Party, the House's second-largest bloc, has signaled reluctance — making the numbers game to actually send articles of impeachment to the Senate a much tougher fight.

Source: Rappler