The impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte dwindled from four to just two on Monday (March 2) as the Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives started to act on the bid to oust her.

The two remaining complaints were found to be compliant to the requirements for sufficiency in form and will proceed to the next stage, the finding of sufficiency in substance.

However, the first complaint filed by the Makabayan Coalition and supported by its allied solons was set aside by the House panel chaired by Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro.

Members of the justice committee voted 22 in favor and ten against to a motion to set the complaint aside from violating the one-year constitutional prohibition in the filing of impeachment cases against a single impeachable official.

On the other hand, the third complaint filed by 17 members of civil society groups and endorsed by Partylist Reps. Leila de Lima and Percy Cendaña was voluntarily withdrawn by them.



In separate letters sent to the Office of the Secretary General, the complainants and endorsers said they arrived at this decision in their bid to speed up proceedings for the remaining cases.

The group also declared their support for the third complaint filed by lawyers and members of the clergy.

De Lima said evidence and grounds cited in the complaint were similar to those aired in their complaint. She endorsed the third complaint.

The third and fourth complaints will be the objects of discussion among justice panel members when they start deliberations to determine whether or not these are sufficient in substance and worthy of being elevated for action in the Senate.

The complaints accused Duterte of committing culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and other high crimes.

Among the grounds cited were the alleged misuse of confidential funds entrusted to the Office of the Vice President, alleged bribery of officials from the Department of Education; unexplained wealth and certain non-disclosure in her Statement of Assets and Liabilities and her alleged threat to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The committee ruled that Makabayan’s petition was filed on February 2, thus violating the constitutional prohibition against initiating impeachment proceedings against the same official more than once within a period of one year.

Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, committee vice chairman, cited the Supreme Court decision on the issue, pointing out that an impeachment complaint against Duterte may be filed only by February 6, 2026, four days prior to the Makabayan filing.

Flores then moved for the committee to set aside the Makabayan complaint, triggering swift objection from ACT Teachers Party list Rep. Antonio Tinio, an endorser of the complaint.

According to Tinio, what the SC ruling was not the date of filing but the commencement of the action on the complaint.