House Pushes Early Accountability Amid Impeachment Archiving
Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua vowed that the House of Representatives remains unwavering in its pursuit of justice and accountability, even as the impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte face possible archiving. This early accountability drive continues despite the Senate’s ongoing debates about whether to halt the proceedings.
Chua, serving as one of the impeachment prosecutors, stressed that the current situation reflects a deadlock between the House and Senate, not a defeat. “We shall not be deterred in our quest for accountability. The Senate action today is not a checkmate. But the Senate denied due process to the Filipino people,” he said. “We are merely at an impasse. This game is far from over. We still have strong moves to make in this high-stakes battle for justice and accountability.”
Background of the Impeachment Complaint
The impeachment complaint was formally filed on February 5 by 215 members of the 19th Congress. It included allegations against Vice President Duterte for misusing confidential funds, threatening high-ranking officials, and potentially violating the 1987 Constitution. Following protocol, the articles were immediately delivered to the Senate since the complaint had support from more than one-third of House members, triggering the start of a Senate trial.
However, in February, two petitions were filed with the Supreme Court aiming to stop the impeachment proceedings. One petition came from Mindanao lawyers who claimed that the House did not follow the constitutional rule requiring action on complaints within 10 session days. Duterte’s legal team, which includes her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, also petitioned the court, arguing the process breached the constitutional limit of one impeachment complaint per official per year.
Supreme Court Decision and Senate Deliberations
The Supreme Court, as announced by spokesperson Camille Ting, unanimously ruled that the impeachment articles violated the one-year bar rule of the Constitution and declared them unconstitutional. Meanwhile, the Senate has been holding deliberations on the SC order, engaging in extended debates that remain unresolved.
House Investigations and Unusual Findings
Chua’s committee in the 19th Congress, the House committee on good government and public accountability, led probes into issues surrounding the Vice President’s Office and the Department of Education. These investigations uncovered suspicious names on acknowledgment receipts (ARs) for confidential expenses.
ARs serve as proof to the Commission on Audit that funds reached intended beneficiaries, often confidential informants. Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop noticed that one signer was named Mary Grace Piattos, a name resembling a restaurant and snack brand. Later, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong presented two ARs signed by Kokoy Villamin for two different offices, but the handwriting on these documents differed, raising further doubts. Both names were absent from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s records.
Further Strange Discoveries
La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V also revealed lists containing names mirroring public officials, multiple “Fionas,” a “Magellan,” and an individual named “Ewan,” a Filipino slang term meaning “I don’t know.” Some names sounded like phone brands, such as “Xiaome Ocho,” while others resembled grocery shopping lists. These anomalies were compiled into the fourth impeachment complaint.
Despite challenges and the Senate’s hesitations, the House remains firm on pursuing early accountability through these impeachment efforts.
For more news and updates on impeachment proceedings, visit Filipinokami.com.
