The impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte in the House of Representatives may be resolved sooner than expected, with the Committee on Justice aiming to conclude its proceedings by the end of May.
San Juan City Lone District Representative Ysabel Maria Zamora, vice chairperson of the panel, said the committee is working within the 60-session-day period following the referral of the complaints.
“From the time of the initiation or referral to the Committee on Justice, it’s 60 session days. So our estimate is, if I’m not mistaken, mga end of May,” Zamora said on March 28 during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
Four verified impeachment complaints were referred to the committee on February 23, with two still active. The panel is currently determining whether probable cause exists in the cases.
Zamora underscored the importance of adhering to the timeline, given the politically sensitive nature of the proceedings and the public scrutiny surrounding them.
“The congressmen have read the complaints, and they believe that we are correct in declaring it to be sufficient in form, sufficient in substance, and that the affidavits or the annexes to the complaints are sufficient to show that there is probable cause. Of course, like we said, we will still have to go through the Committee on Justice hearing to declare probable cause,” she explained.
She added that while she believes the House plenary has enough votes to impeach Duterte should the complaints advance, the committee has not made any prejudgment.
“Like I said earlier, I admit that there are qualms, that there are concerns by some of the congressmen or maybe a lot of them. But people still believe in the charges,” Zamora noted.
If the House approves the articles of impeachment, the case will be elevated to the Senate, which will conduct a trial to determine whether Duterte will remain in office.