Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

The House Committee on Justice formally adopt its report and the corresponding Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte during a committee hearing at the House of Representatives, Quezon City, on May 4, 2026. With a unanimous vote, the 55-member panel, chaired by Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro, approved the committee report finding probable cause to impeach the Vice President. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP Sara Duterte Impeachment

Marilyn Cahatol

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177794784489720260504-vp-sara-duterte-impeachment-JC3065.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The House Committee on Justice formally adopt its report and the corresponding Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte during a committee hearing at the House of Representatives, Quezon City, on May 4, 2026<em>. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — House members’ political parties should not affect their decision on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case, Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro said Tuesday.</p><p>The House Committee on Justice on Tuesday formally adopted its report and the corresponding Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.</p><div><a href="http://Palace defends Marcos Jr.’s pivot from ‘hands-off’ policy on Duterte’s impeachment">Palace defends Marcos Jr.’s pivot from ‘hands-off’ policy on Duterte’s impeachment</a></div><p>“Even if the presidential son is the majority leader of the 20th Congress, the individual members have actually the privilege, the prerogative to make their own stand, notwithstanding the position of the majority block,” Luistro told ANC’s Headstart.</p><p>Presidential Son and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos is the majority floor leader of the 20th Congress. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not explicitly express his stand on his former ally&#x27;s impeachment case, but said it “should be treated like the investigations into flood control anomalies” where those involved in irregularities should be held liable.</p><p>“At the end of the day, conscience vote ito eh. It is really how you appreciate this impeachment process that should be the basis on voting during the plenary,” Luistro added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>OTHER FACTORS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Luistro also acknowledged that aside from the presented evidence and political parties, the 2028 presidential elections, in which Duterte announced her intent to run for president, may affect lawmakers’ decision on the impeachment proceedings.</p><p>But she stressed that the plenary should prioritize public interest in deciding whether or not Duterte’s case should reach an impeachment trial.</p><p>“If what matters to them is the best interest of the nation, siguro dapat mawala yung fear ng consequence ng kanilang vote,” Luistro said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/9/nup-to-house-panel-present-stronger-impeachment-case-vs-vp-duterte-1235">NUP to House panel: Present &#x27;stronger&#x27; impeachment case vs VP Duterte</a></div><p>Meanwhile, the justice panel chair said the plenary will have a reasonable time to scrutinize the articles of impeachment and vote on them next week, May 11.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NUP</strong></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>The National Unity Party (NUP), the second largest political party in the House, said “independence must be preserved” in the impeachment vote. </p><p>“If any form of sanction or punitive measure is imposed on Members for voting according to their judgment, the Party will act collectively and respond in a manner it deems appropriate,” NUP Chairman and Antipolo First District Rep. Ronaldo Puno said.</p><p>At the same time, the party “reaffirmed its continued support for the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., regardless of the outcome of the impending vote on the impeachment matter before the House of Representatives.” </p><p>In the same statement, the NUP said it is the</p><p>“In matters of this nature, independence must be preserved… If any form of sanction or punitive measure is imposed on Members for voting according to their judgment, the Party will act collectively and respond in a manner it deems appropriate,” Puno said. </p><p>Five Manila representatives are now part of the NUP after Third District Rep. Joel Chua, Fifth District Rep. Irwin Tieng, and First District Rep. Ernesto Dionisio joined. </p><p>Manila Sixth District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Manila Second District Rep. Rolando Valeriano, who were already members beforehand, invited the three to join.</p><p>“‘Yung Manila bloc halos lahat kami nag-NUP dahil matagal na naming talagang plano ‘yan na mag-solid kami sa Manila. Before kasi supposedly, mag-NUP kami but unfortunately wala namang slot,” Chua told reporters.   </p><p>He said allegations that some lawmakers were withdrawing their support for the impeachment of the Vice President were “fake news.”</p><p>“Nakita naman natin yesterday na from dati, 53 ‘yung bumoto. Ngayon, biglang naging 55 pa without counting the chair pa, di ba? So technically that is 56. Kaya lahat ito puro pinapalabas lang, puro fake news. In fact, naglabas sila ng mga pangalan—those who are not gonna vote during the committee hearing, pero makikita mo halos karamihan doon bumoto ng yes,” Chua said.</p><p>The committee on Monday <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/4/house-justice-panel-sends-vp-duterte-impeachment-case-to-plenary-1137">approved its committee report </a>finding probable cause in the impeachment complaints against Duterte, officially sending it to the plenary for voting.</p><p>The Constitution requires at least one-third or 106 out of the 318 House members to vote for the articles of impeachment to be transmitted to the Senate, which will convene an impeachment court. </p><p>Senate President Tito Sotto earlier said the upper chamber is ready regardless of what happens to the impeachment complaint. </p><p>He also said the trial may continue even after the Senate goes on a break on June 5. </p><p>The complaints are grounded on various accusations against Duterte, including her alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth and a supposed assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Duterte has repeatedly denied the allegations.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2026/5/5/vp-sara-duterte-unfazed-by-looming-impeachment-visits-dad-in-the-hague-0738">VP Sara Duterte unfazed by looming impeachment, visits dad in The Hague</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uMjJuXmzlv0?si=gQaLfKn932MljhEu" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>House members’ political parties should not affect their decision on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case, Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro said Tuesday.</p>

House members’ political parties should not affect their decision on Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case, Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro said Tuesday.

Political party should not affect House members’ stand on VP Sara impeachment—Luistro

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Political party should not affect House members’ stand on VP Sara impeachment—Luistro

Marilyn Cahatol,

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 05, 2026 10:36 AM PHT

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Updated May 05, 2026 04:48 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

impeachment

House of Representatives

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