In a historic move, the House of Representatives on Monday voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time, formally transmitting the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.
Voting 255-26 with nine abstentions, lawmakers overwhelmingly adopted the recommendation of the House Committee on Justice to unseat Duterte.
The vote far exceeded the constitutional requirement of 106 votes, or one-third of all 318 House members, needed to elevate the impeachment complaint to the Senate.
Following the plenary vote, the House moved to formally transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate, which is constitutionally mandated to convene as an impeachment court “forthwith.”
The Vice President’s legal team, while acknowledging the plenary’s decision, maintained that the burden of proof now rests entirely on the prosecution.
“We are aware of the action taken by the plenary and with that vote to transmit the Articles of Impeachment, the burden now rests on the accusers to substantiate their claims in accordance with the Constitution, the law, and rules on evidence,” Duterte’s counsel stated.
The articles of impeachment include allegations of unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and public threats against the President.
Despite the transmittal, the defense team expressed readiness to face the trial in the upper chamber.
“While questions of constitutional significance remain pending before the Supreme Court, we are fully prepared to defend the Vice President before the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court, where it is incumbent upon the Prosecution to discharge the burden of proof,” the legal team added.
The Senate trial is expected to begin shortly, marking the first time in Philippine history a government official will face a second impeachment trial.