Impeachment season appears to be in full swing at the House of Representatives after two verified and endorsed impeachment complaints were filed in succession against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday morning, Feb. 2.
Forty-five members of militant groups and former Makabayan bloc solons filed the first complaint against Vice President Duterte before House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil at 8:40 a.m. Monday, while 17 civil society and religious group members filed the second complaint at 10:12 a.m.
Incumbent Makabayan bloc solons ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co endorsed the first complaint, while Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña endorsed the second complaint.
The back-to-back filing of complaints against the second highest official of the land took place even as the House Committee on Justice began public hearings that same morning on two previously filed and referred complaints against President Marcos.
Makabayan was also behind the filing of one of the two complaints against Marcos last week.
Monday’s filers basically comprised the core groups that filed two separate impeachment raps against Vice President Duterte on Dec. 4 and 2, 2024, respectively. However, these complaints were cast aside in favor of the Feb. 5, 2025 impeachment complaint that was signed by 215 House members and sent directly to the Senate.
This particular complaint against Duterte ended up getting struck down by the Supreme Court (SC) on July 25, 2025 due to unconstitutionality, mainly due to the process by which if was pursued.
The high court–responding to a motion for reconsideration (MR) from the House leadership in the previous 19th Congress–upheld this ruling last Jan. 28.
In pursuing the fresh impeachment complaints against the Vice President, the complainants underscored on Monday that the allegations agasint the respondent that were raised during the19th Congress have never been tested in terms of merits.
“Ngayong araw, ang Makabayan bloc ay nag-submit ng impeachment complaint–round two–laban kay VP Sara Duterte. Yung complaint natin ay basically on betrayal of public trust (Today, the Makabayan bloc submitted an impeachment complaint—round two—against Vice President Sara Duterte. The basis of our complaint is essentially betrayal of public trust),” former ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, one of the filers of the first complaint, said.
“Sobrang tagal nang hinihintay ito ng taumbayan. Nanghimasok ang Pangulo, nanghimasok ang [SC]–this has been long delayed. So what do we want to happen? Gusto lang po natin mangyari, na-file na po natin ang impeachment complaint nitong araw, bola ito ng House ngayon. Kung gusto nating mapabilis ang prosesong ito, one-third vote lang ang kailangan. Yung mga bumoto na pabor sa impeachment noong19th Congress, hinahamon namin na bumoto ng pabor,” said Bayan President Renato Reyes, Castro’s fellow complainant.
(The people have been waiting for this for a very long time. The President intervened, the SC intervened—this has been long delayed. So what do we want to happen? We simply want this: we have filed the impeachment complaint today, and now the ball is in the House’s court. If we want this process expedited, only a one‑third vote is needed. Those who voted in favor of impeachment in the 19th Congress—we challenge them to vote in favor again.)
I kept the phrasing clear and faithful while smoothing transitions for readability. Do you want me to polish this further into a formal press statement style (more authoritative and structured) or keep it in a direct advocacy tone (closer to the original cadence and urgency)?
Cendaña, one of the endorsers of the second complaint, said: “May mga nagsasabi, recycled daw yung complaint. Gusto natin i-address yan. Hindi ito recycled complaint kasi hanggang ngayon hindi pa sumasagot ng personal si VP Sara Duterte sa mga kaso ng katiwalian, pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan, at pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan.
(Some are saying the complaint is recycled. We want to address that. This is not a recycled complaint because up to now, Vice President Sara Duterte has not personally answered the cases of corruption, abuse of power, and plunder of public funds.)
“Hanggang ngayon yung original complaint na finile natin, hindi pa siya nagkaroon ng day in court…Baka akala ni VP Sara Duterte ay lusot na siya dahil doon sa teknikalidad sa naging desisyon ng [SC],” he added.
(Up to now, the original complaint we filed has not had its day in court… Perhaps VP Sara Duterte thinks she has already gotten away with it because of the technicality in the SC’s decision.)
