Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante stressed Friday that Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) should be closely examined in the impeachment proceedings, drawing parallels to the 2012 ouster of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
“During the time of Chief Justice Corona, isa lang naman nakapag-convict sa kanya… He was not able to declare all his assets in his SALN,” Abante said, recalling how discrepancies in Corona’s SALN proved decisive in his removal.
In 2012, the Senate voted 20-3 to convict Corona for culpable violation of the Constitution after he failed to disclose $2 million and ₱80 million in bank deposits.
Abante, who endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte, underscored that while impeachment is inherently political, it must be anchored on facts and evidence.
“The impeachment proceeding is a political… but it is about evidence, it’s about facts,” he said. “If there’s enough evidence, there’s enough facts, and there’s enough evidence to warrant the impeachment of the vice president, so be it.”
Under the Constitution, at least one-third of the 316 House members must support an impeachment complaint before it can advance to the Senate for trial.