From Rappler

By Alexia Bangayan

The House Committee on Justice is poised to move toward a probable cause vote in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, as of Thursday, April 23.

The development comes after a series of hearings where lawmakers reviewed testimonies and documents related to the complaints filed against the vice president.

In an interview with ANC’s ”Headstart” earlier today, Chair Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas stated, “Sa pamamagitan ng mga ebidensiya na naipakita kahapon, at least for the majority of the justice members, napatunayan na may basehan…” 

Luistro further explained that the allegations involving confidential funds were deemed adequate for probable cause, based on the ruling that denied an appeal concerning P73 million and notices of disallowance linked to three audit observation memoranda for 2023.

During Tuesday’s hearing on April 21, Luistro said that the testimonies presented supported the complaints regarding alleged unexplained wealth and discrepancies in the vice president’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

The panel also discussed findings from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), which flagged P6.77 billion in covered and suspicious transactions linked to the vice president and her spouse, lawyer Mans Carpio, from 2005 to 2026.

Members of the committee also discussed procedural matters involving the handling of sealed documents from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) containing the spouses’ income tax returns.

“What is really significant in the SALN… is not the net worth of P88 million. It is not simply the increase in the amount of net worth. What is significant there is the non-disclosure,” Luistro added.

Duterte has previously denied the allegations raised in the impeachment complaints.

A final hearing is scheduled on April 29 to clarify allegations involving threats made by Duterte, with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) expected to present digital and documentary evidence under subpoena.

Following the hearings, Luistro said that the impeachment process may proceed to a vote on probable cause, noting that there is a ”very big possibility” the decision could be reached by the end of the month.