By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte criticized the House Committee on Justice’s ruling that found the third and fourth impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte sufficient in form and substance.
Rep. Duterte said the decision was unsurprising but demonstrated how some members of Congress allegedly use impeachment as a political instrument rather than a mechanism to ensure fairness and justice.
The committee had earlier voted to recognize the complaints as procedurally and substantively adequate, allowing the impeachment proceedings to advance in the Philippine House of Representatives.
Rep. Duterte praised Quezon City Rep. Jesus Manuel Suntay for opposing the measure, saying the legislator “remained firm and unyielding despite pressure” during the discussions.
“He chose principle over convenience in a setting where many prioritized ease over conviction. His stance showed that courage and integrity in public service are still present, even if it meant standing alone,” he said.
The Davao representative also reminded the 54 lawmakers who supported the move that political authority is not permanent, while public accountability endures.
“You may have the majority today, but history will ultimately evaluate those who misuse their authority,” he said. “Political power does not last, but responsibility to the Filipino people does.”
Duterte further questioned other issues he believes warrant investigation, such as alleged large-scale corruption in government flood control projects and reports that public funds were supposedly transported in luggage.
The lawmaker asked who in Congress and the administration would be held accountable or imprisoned for the alleged trillion-peso flood-control corruption and the supposed mishandling of public money.
He also proposed that hair follicle drug testing be conducted on all members of the Senate and House of Representatives, including what he described as the “principal architect of this political spectacle and his own relatives,” without naming anyone.
Duterte emphasized that public officials involved in the controversy would ultimately be judged by the Filipino people, adding that they should be prepared to defend their actions before the citizens they represent.
