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The House Committee on Justice on Monday moved a step closer to a historic decision after 55 lawmakers unanimously approved the impeachment report against Vice President Sara Duterte, officially forwarding the case to the plenary for full deliberation and voting.

The approval came after weeks of hearings, document reviews, and testimony evaluation, with the panel concluding that there is probable cause to proceed under constitutional standards.

Deputy Speaker David “Jay-Jay” Suarez of Quezon formally moved for the adoption of the committee report, which includes the Articles of Impeachment, a motion seconded by members of the panel. From there, the approval was swiftly carried with full support from all Justice Committee members present.

House Committee on Justice Chair Gerville Luistro confirmed the unanimous decision, stressing that all 55 members signified their backing.

“Let it be placed on the record that 55 out of 55 members present supported the approval of the Committee Report and the Articles of Impeachment,” Luistro said, declaring the motion approved without opposition.

The committee report consolidates multiple complaints filed earlier this year and cites several grounds for impeachment, including alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

The case stemmed from four separate complaints lodged in February, involving different complainants including Francisca Castro and Francis Joseph Aquino Dee, followed later by Joel Saballa and Atty. Nathaniel Cabrera. One complaint was withdrawn, while another was set aside due to procedural rules.

The remaining petitions moved forward after being declared sufficient in form and substance, paving the way for formal hearings and evidence presentation.

By mid-March, the committee had already ruled that the complaints carried sufficient grounds for impeachment. Lawmakers later proceeded with hearings where financial records, audit findings, and witness testimonies were presented.

Among the key allegations outlined in the Articles of Impeachment are the alleged misuse and questionable liquidation of hundreds of millions of pesos in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, unexplained wealth concerns, alleged bribery and corruption involving officials under her office, and claims of abuse of authority and political destabilization.

The report also references findings from the Commission on Audit, flagged financial transactions from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and supporting testimonies from auditors, forensic experts, and government officials.

During the hearings, lawmakers were shown documents questioning cash movements, potentially irregular liquidation receipts, and certifications suggesting inconsistencies in reported beneficiaries. Some audit reports also ordered refunds and flagged large sums for further scrutiny.

Luistro said the committee based much of its review on sworn documents, including Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth, which were compared against financial records and audit data presented during the proceedings.

She added that the panel strictly followed constitutional procedures from the determination of sufficiency in form and substance, up to the establishment of probable cause.

The committee also noted it did not open a sealed set of Bureau of Internal Revenue documents submitted during the process, citing legal limitations and sufficient existing evidence already presented at the committee level.

With the approval of the report, the impeachment case now heads to the House plenary, where lawmakers are expected to debate and vote on whether to formally adopt the committee’s findings and proceed with the next stage of the constitutional process.