MANILA — Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, a member of the 11-man House prosecution panel, asserted the legitimacy and constitutionality of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on February 20, 2025. This comes amid ongoing legal challenges to the proceedings.

In a television interview, Luistro dismissed allegations that the complaint’s verification process was flawed, emphasizing that the complaint was properly signed by 215 members of the House of Representatives. She pointed out that Congress has the authority to establish its own impeachment rules.

“Congress shall promulgate its own rules on impeachment. We followed these rules precisely,” Luistro said, refuting claims that the verification page was inserted after the filing. She clarified that the verification was incorporated when the complaint was signed during a caucus on February 5, 2025.

Luistro further explained that many of the impeachment grounds were previously investigated by House committees, including the Quad Comm and the Committee on Good Government. She rejected accusations that Duterte had been denied due process, stating that the Vice President would be given time to respond to the charges and present evidence.

Regarding the one-year impeachment rule, Luistro clarified that while only one impeachment can be filed per year, there is no requirement to resolve it within the same year. The prohibition period would extend until November 2025 if counted from the first three complaints, or February 2026 if from the consolidated fourth complaint.

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe condemned calls from Duterte’s allies, including Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, to suspend House leaders accused of falsifying documents. Dalipe denounced the move as political retaliation and a diversionary tactic to shift public attention from the impeachment.

“The House remains committed to transparency and accountability,” Dalipe said, expressing confidence that the Ombudsman would dismiss the suspension request. He also rejected allegations regarding budget insertions, calling them misleading and baseless.

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