ASEANEWS HEADLINE-VP DU30 IMPEACHMENT | House panel finds probable cause to impeach VP Sara

FULL VOTE: House panel finds probable cause to impeach Sara Duterte | ABS-CBN News

.

The House justice committee on Wednesday (April 29) voted unanimously, with 53 members in physically present, that probable cause exists in both impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, following a series of hearings on their form, substance, and grounds, paving the way for a plenary decision.

..

.

VP Sara, husband tax records remain sealed

MANILA, Philippines — In two separate unanimous votes by all the 53 members present, the House committee on justice declared yesterday that there is probable cause in the Saballa and Cabrera impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“For the record, nobody registered an objection. And in accordance with our rules, that means that the motion is approved by unanimous vote,” justice committee chair and Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville Luistro declared.

.

The committee also granted the manifestation of House senior deputy minority leader and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima to consolidate the two impeachment complaints against Duterte to prevent duplicating the committee’s work in preparing the Articles of Impeachment.

De Lima said the two verified impeachment complaints should be consolidated and reported to the House plenary as a single integrated set of Articles of Impeachment, faithfully reflecting the totality of the findings and evidence adduced in both complaints to enable the House as plenary to deliberate and act with coherence, efficiency and full clarity.

.

.

Following the determination of probable cause, Luistro directed the committee to prepare the report and transmit the same to the complainants, the respondent and justice panel members.

The unanimous vote now clears the way for the panel to submit its report and corresponding Articles of Impeachment to the plenary for consideration, in which a one-third vote of all House members will impeach the Vice President and immediately send the case to the Senate for trial.

Luistro also announced the continuation of hearing on May 4, 10 a.m. at the People’s Center.

Tax records

Earlier in the hearing, the justice panel voted 38 against, six in favor and zero abstention to the opening of the box containing the tax records of the Vice President and her husband Manases Carpio.

After the voting was announced, Defensor moved to keep the sealed box as part of the official records and have it transmitted to the Senate should the case reach trial, a motion that was duly seconded by the committee.

At issue was the National Internal Revenue Code, which requires that tax documents requested for congressional inquiry be examined in executive session and in aid of legislation, which were conditions some lawmakers argued the impeachment proceedings do not satisfy.

For Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., endorser of the Cabrera impeachment complaint, the box should remain sealed and be left to the Senate to open during the impeachment trial.

De Lima reiterated her position during last week’s hearing, arguing that the committee has both the power and the constitutional mandate to examine Duterte’s tax records since the documents were subpoenaed by the House committee and are directly relevant to the unexplained wealth allegation.

.

.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) slammed the justice committee’s decision to leave the tax records alone, which it said favored Duterte.

“Upholding transparency and accountability should guide the actions of the House instead of buckling down to threats and legal gymnastics of Sara Duterte, thus enabling corrupt officials like her to cover up their grave crimes,” Bayan secretary general Raymond Palatino said in a statement.

VP Sara ditches hearing again

Like in the previous hearings, Luistro ordered the committee secretary to call the respondent Vice President repeatedly to show proof that she has been accorded due process despite her absence.

Duterte was seen in Laguna yesterday attending a pop-up exhibit.

According to Luistro, Duterte’s latest stance that she is only prepared to answer the allegations against her in the Senate bolsters the impression that the evidence already laid before the justice committee is enough to move the impeachment case forward.

“We are now wondering, if it is where she will answer, isn’t it that she is also recognizing that there are enough evidence and this case is really going to the Senate?” Luistro said.

Taken as a whole, Luistro said the Duterte camp’s move was telling because instead of dismantling the numbers already placed before the committee, it effectively shifted the argument to timing, venue and process.

.

.

“And that is the three things that they did. First, they declared that they are ready to answer in the Senate. Second, they told us to beware and third, the filing of a new case against us,” Luistro said.

Luistro said the committee would not be distracted from its constitutional duty by external messaging or pressure, particularly when the path of the evidence was already becoming clearer.

Not surprised

Reacting to the finding of probable cause, the Vice President’s defense team said it was “not unexpected, given the direction the proceedings had taken.”

“We respectfully maintain that the proceedings before the committee departed from the constitutional design,” the 16-person defense team said in a statement.

.

.

“Instead of confining itself to the verified complaints and their attachments, the process expanded into matters that properly belong to a full trial,” it added. — Bella Cariaso, Emmanuel Tupas