The House Justice Committee on Wednesday opened its third classificatory hearing on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, shifting focus to the controversial threats she made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, who presided over the hearing, said the issue now goes beyond questions of fund discrepancies and centers on Duterte’s character and fitness to remain in office.
“This is no longer just about discrepancies. This is now about character. Who is the vice president? Is she truly the second-highest official of the Republic who clearly threatened the life of the president and ordered the president’s killing?” Luistro said in Filipino.
She also questioned whether Duterte had become “so thirsty for violence” that she spoke of cutting off the president’s head, and whether she considered herself above the law.
Luistro added that the hearing’s subject matter may not be suitable for children because of the violent accusations involved.
“These allegations are not only alarming but dangerous to everyone. There are videos, words, and statements that must be proven,” she said.
She said the proceedings would ultimately seek to answer what she described as the most important question: whether Duterte remains fit to serve as vice president amid the accusations against her.
The threats stemmed from events in Nov. 2024, when Duterte visited her chief of staff, Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, who was then detained at the House of Representatives. Lopez had been cited in contempt by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability for allegedly interfering in an investigation into the supposed misuse of confidential funds in Duterte’s offices.
After the visit, Duterte stayed inside her brother’s office, saying she had only come to leave durian. She later went live online several times, including one instance where she claimed she had arranged for an assassin to kill the president, the first lady, and Romualdez if anything happened to her.
The National Bureau of Investigation, which earlier looked into Duterte’s threats, was invited to provide further details before the justice panel.
Previous hearings tackled other allegations in the impeachment complaints. On April 14, lawmakers examined the alleged misuse of confidential funds under Duterte’s offices. During that session, revelations were cited from the supplemental affidavit of Duterte’s former aide Ramil Madriaga.
Madriaga alleged that in Dec. 2022, Duterte instructed him to coordinate with Col. Dennis Nolasco to deliver cash to allies in San Pablo, Laguna; a comedy bar in Quezon City; and the Office of the Ombudsman parking lot as a way of “returning a favor.”
He claimed four large duffel bags — three dark-colored and one light-colored — were unloaded from vehicles, each containing around ₱30 million to ₱35 million.
Madriaga further alleged that this was part of the ₱125 million confidential funds for 2022, which he claimed was liquidated in just one day rather than the officially reported 11 days.
During the April 22 hearing, lawmakers tackled accusations of unexplained wealth. Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Matthew David Buenaventura said the agency identified suspicious transactions involving Duterte and some of her relatives, including her husband, Manases Carpio.
Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima selected 18 transactions cited in the affidavit of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and asked whether these matched AMLC records.
Buenaventura later confirmed that all 18 transactions were reflected in the council’s records, though he declined to discuss their specific nature.
Written by Doreen P. Cabildo, Insight PH
Doreen P. Cabildo, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
