153 Congressmen Vote To Impeach Sara

By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu

MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives Secretary General Reginald Velasco has officially confirmed that 153 lawmakers have now signed the fourth impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to move forward with the impeachment process.

In an interview conducted with reporters on Wednesday, Velasco provided clarity on the current situation, revealing that the number of signatures collected has surpassed the minimum requirement for the impeachment complaint to be expedited to the Senate. He stated that while the requirement for fast-tracking the impeachment complaint is 102 signatures, the House has already gathered 153. However, he also mentioned that the final and exact count would only be available once the signatures are formally reported to the plenary session of the House of Representatives.

Velasco emphasized, “Yes, we have enough. The requirement is only 102, and as of the last update, it’s already 153. But we won’t know the exact number until we officially report it to the plenary.” This statement underscores the 

 importance of formalizing the signatures and the steps needed for the impeachment process to progress.

The impeachment complaint against the Vice President marks the fourth of its kind to be filed in the House, with Velasco confirming its status as such. This development follows the earlier remarks of ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, who noted that discussions had taken place within the House, with talks indicating that the chamber could potentially gather at least 103 signatures—equivalent to one-third of the total number of House members. This threshold is significant because it would allow for the impeachment complaint to be fast-tracked, further expediting the process.

The legal process surrounding impeachment is governed by the 1987 Constitution, which requires that all impeachment complaints be filed within the House of Representatives. According to Article XI, Section 3 of the Constitution, once a verified complaint is filed, it is forwarded to the House Speaker by the House Secretary General. The Speaker then refers the complaint to the committees on rules and justice, where it is reviewed and deliberated upon before moving forward.

This current impeachment complaint follows a series of efforts to hold Vice President Duterte accountable, with political figures from various parties engaging in debates over the validity and potential consequences of the complaint. The process will continue to unfold in the coming weeks, with the outcome depending on the decisions made within the legislative committees and the House as a whole.