Akbayan Partylist Representative Perci Cendaña, one of the endorsers of the second impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, said lawmakers are set to present new evidence to the House Committee on Justice.
Cendaña emphasized that the proceedings will include allegations that the vice president has yet to answer and noted that the endorsers are prepared to face challenges.
“So this is not a case of whether the allegations are new or old. Ito ay kaso ng hindi pa rin nasasagot ang mga alegasyong ito. And if Sarah Duterte is good at something, it is running away from accountability,” Cendaña said.
Cendaña pointed to new documents expected in the hearings, including Duterte’s bank records and the affidavit of her former aide, Ramil Madriaga. He noted that some of the evidence relates to the alleged use of P125 million in 11 days during December 2022.
“We will see the unexplained wealth during the time of the presentation of evidence… hopefully, their bank accounts will be opened,” Cendaña said, underlining the focus on financial transparency.
The endorsers have coordinated with complainants and plan to meet over the weekend to prepare for the March 2 committee session. Cendaña said discussions are ongoing among all endorsers of the four impeachment complaints to align their presentation.
The lawmakers emphasized that confidentiality protections, including the Bank Secrecy Law, would be observed, but noted that impeachment proceedings are an exception allowing scrutiny of financial records.
The House Committee on Justice, led by Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro and supported by the National Unity Party, will review the sufficiency of the evidence and the formal aspects of the complaints.
The endorsers expressed confidence that the hearings will proceed without procedural obstacles and that the new evidence will be fully considered.
