Photo credit: Congress PH

House Committee on Justice chair Gerville Luistro praised members of her panel over the weekend for what she described as their “correct appreciation” of the evidence and arguments tied to the impeachment case against Sara Duterte.

Speaking during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, Luistro said she was impressed by how lawmakers handled the proceedings after weeks of hearings and deliberations.

“Napakahusay po ng mga taga-Justice committee. They really have the correct, accurate appreciation of the case, including the evidence in support of the different Articles of Impeachment,” Luistro said.

Her remarks came ahead of the expected plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives of the Philippines, where lawmakers are set to tackle the committee report and the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.

The justice panel earlier approved the report unanimously following hearings involving allegations connected to the alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and controversial remarks directed at President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then Speaker of the House Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

Luistro said she remains grateful to the members of the panel regardless of how the plenary vote turns out.

“Regardless of what will happen in the plenary vote, I can honestly say that I am very much thankful to all the justice members for the job well done,” she said.

The Batangas lawmaker also pointed out that she did not vote on the issues tackled during the hearings as committee chairperson, but instead closely observed how members evaluated the evidence and arguments presented before them.

“I do commend them for their appreciation of everything we resolved before the Justice committee,” she said.

According to Luistro, the panel voted several times throughout the proceedings, including on matters involving the form and substance of the complaints, the grounds for impeachment, and the finding of probable cause.

“Ang daming beses nilang bumoto. One is on the form, next is on substance, third is on the ground, and fourth is on probable cause,” she said.

“And I really commend how they appreciated both the arguments and the evidence which guided them in voting on these four important questions before the justice committee,” Luistro added.