MANILA, Philippines — House committee on justice chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro on Sunday said there is no double standard in handling impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., stressing that the panel’s rulings are evidence-based.
“There is a very big disparity between the impeachment against the President and the Vice President. As for the President, you cannot see the personal participation. In fact, there is no evidence that will establish the participation of the President in the corruption,” Luistro said during a radio program.
She explained that signing the General Appropriations Act does not constitute an act of corruption; any wrongdoing would occur during the implementation of the budget. In the President’s case, the complaint failed to show his involvement in the alleged misuse of funds.
By contrast, Luistro said personal participation is clear in Duterte’s case. She cited a video in which the vice president allegedly claimed to have hired a hitman to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Rep. Martin Romualdez if she were killed. “It was the Vice President who actually uttered the words of threat against these three important personalities and shared with the whole world that she contracted an assassin,” Luistro stressed.
Justice committee member Rep. Terry Ridon echoed that the panel is acting on rules and evidence, dismissing claims of speculation. He highlighted reports from the Commission on Audit and hearings by the House blue ribbon committee showing alleged misuse of confidential funds. Ridon noted that Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) indicate a cumulative salary of P30–40 million from 2007 to 2024, while her reported net worth in 2025 reached P88 million.
Ridon added that the committee is prepared to defend its process before the Supreme Court if challenged, ensuring the proceedings are “properly, fairly, and in accordance with the Constitution.”
Out of four impeachment complaints, the committee is pursuing two against Duterte, which have already been found sufficient in form, substance, and grounds. Hearings are scheduled to start on March 25, with additional sessions on April 14, 22, and 29, during which Duterte will be invited to attend.
Meanwhile, two complaints against President Marcos were dismissed by the justice panel for being insufficient in substance.
