Photo credit: Congress PH

The impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte in the House of Representatives is now “all but certain,” according to House Committee on Public Accounts Chair Terry Ridon, who said lawmakers are expected to secure enough votes next week to move the case forward.

Ridon made the statement after the House Committee on Justice approved the committee report and Articles of Impeachment against Duterte on May 4.

“We’re expecting the VP to be impeached next week. So yung 106 is all but certain,” Ridon said.

Under the Constitution, at least one-third of House members, or 106 votes, are needed to send an impeachment case to the Senate for trial.

Ridon said the committee stage is already finished and the next step is deliberation and voting in the plenary.

“Tapos na ho yung botohan sa committee. We will go to the plenary this week,” he confirmed.

The Justice Committee earlier found probable cause in the complaints filed against Duterte before unanimously approving the report and impeachment articles.

During the same interview, Ridon also addressed claims from lawyer Manases Carpio, Duterte’s husband, regarding an alleged correction in the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report involving a Bank of the Philippine Islands transaction.

Carpio’s camp claimed a transaction initially tagged at P2 billion was later corrected to only P2 million. But Ridon argued the clarification was already reflected in the AMLC report and did not change the overall findings.

“Bakit hindi namin sinama eh nakalagay nga sa report yon,” Ridon said.

“The report is there for everyone to see,” he added.

Ridon stressed that the AMLC summary still showed a total of P6.7 billion in transactions.

“But again, ang sabi pa rin ho ng AMLC in their summary list, it is still P6.7 billion,” he said.

“And even assuming it became P2 million from P2 billion, it is still in the billions,” Ridon added.

For Ridon, the main issue remains the scale of the transactions and inflows allegedly tied to Duterte and Carpio.

“It doesn’t change the fact that the total transactions are still in the billions. It doesn’t change the fact that the inflows are still in the billions,” he emphasized.

He also questioned how the amounts could match the profile of the Vice President and her husband.

“And ultimately who are these personalities? Public servant? Lawyers? Losing businesses?” Ridon asked.

“Paano ipapaliwanag P6.7 billion in total transactions, P4.4 billion in net inflows? Hindi ho ganyan ‘yung profile ng mag-asawang mga abogado,” he added.

Ridon said the House already has around 55 to 56 votes from committee members alone and believes reaching the required 106 votes will not be difficult.

“Well, I can speak for today. So I guess meron kami 55 votes to impeach the VP,” Ridon said.

“So the next half of 106 is not going to be difficult to surmount. We will have the numbers by next week,” he added.

He also noted that members of the National Unity Party were among those who voted in favor of the committee report.

“But more importantly, I think you have NUP members there as well this morning that voted for the committee report,” Ridon pointed out.

If the impeachment case reaches the Senate, Ridon said House prosecutors would rely on evidence presented during the proceedings.

“Well kukumbinsihin po natin sila on the bases of evidence ang mga Senador,” Ridon said.

“But the evidence is very clear, the confidential funds misuse, the Vice President is being ask to return the P448 million,” he added.

Ridon also cited the alleged discrepancy between Duterte’s 2024 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and the questioned financial transactions, along with Duterte’s controversial remarks against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Talagang malayo sa 88 million in 2024 SALN at panghuli, yung threat sa President, kahit ulit ulitin natin ang video talagang nagbanta sya laban sa Pangulo,” Ridon said.

“So these are the evidence that will hopefully convince the Senate to convict the Vice President,” he added.