Vice President Sara Duterte may choose whether to personally appear during impeachment hearings at the House of Representatives, as her attendance is considered part of her due process rights
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, chair of the House Committee on Justice, said the Vice President will be invited once the proceedings reach the stage of formal hearings, but appearing before the panel remains her prerogative.
“Let us understand that her presence during the hearing proper is part of her due process. In other words, the prerogative belongs to her. Whether she wants to come or not to come, that is actually her option,” Luistro said in a radio interview Thursday.
She explained that the hearings will allow complainants to present witnesses and evidence as part of the impeachment process.
Luistro also stressed that the committee vote will determine whether the complaints move forward based on probable cause.
The panel has 55 members, including ex-officio members, meaning at least 28 votes are required to secure a majority.
Last Wednesday, the committee voted 54–1, with no abstentions, in separate votes declaring that the third and fourth impeachment complaints against Duterte were sufficient in substance.
Earlier stages of the process require only a simple majority of members present, provided there is a quorum, but the threshold increases when the committee determines whether sufficient grounds exist to support impeachment.
Luistro said the higher voting requirement reflects the significance of the committee’s decision before the case is elevated to the plenary.
Meanwhile, she said the Vice President’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) have been cited by members of the panel in examining allegations in the complaints, particularly questions on whether the declared assets are consistent with her reported income.
Luistro noted that some lawmakers raised concerns over possible inconsistencies between Duterte’s financial disclosures and the income attributed to her during the period covered by the complaints.
She said Rep. Terry Ridon presented two SALNs during deliberations, which some committee members said appeared inconsistent with the respondent’s reported earnings.
Luistro added that the panel had voted to consider bank records and other financial documents as relevant to the proceedings as lawmakers examine the allegations raised in the impeachment complaints.
