The House Committee on Justice on Tuesday began its second deliberations on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to impeach her.

However, Duterte was once again absent from the hearing. Her seat remained unoccupied, with only her nameplate placed at the table. However, her legal counsel, Atty. Michael Poa, attended the proceedings on her behalf.

House Committee on Justice Chairperson Atty. Gerville “Jinky” Luistro led the opening of the proceedings, addressing questions regarding the panel’s role in handling the impeachment case.

In her opening statement, Luistro clarified the scope and purpose of the committee’s work as part of the constitutional process.

Luistro emphasized that the House of Representatives initiates the impeachment process, while the Senate serves as the body that ultimately decides the case should it proceed.

“Sa Kamara nagsisimula nag impeachment process, sa atin ang unang galaw, sa atin ang direksyon at gaya ng sabi ng mga kabataan ‘Hawak natin ang beat’ at sa kapangyarihan na ito pannagutan sa taumbayan ang dapat manaig,” Luistro said.

She further stressed that the proceedings are "not a trial" but a determination of whether there is sufficient basis to elevate the complaint to the Senate.

“This is merely the beginning, not the end of accountability mechanism. This committee therefore is not overstepping. We are not improvising, we are not experimenting,” Luistro said.

“The House initiates, the Senate decides. Ang papel natin ay suriin at alamin kung may sapat na basehan para dalhin ang kaso sa Senado. Ang ginagawa natin dito ay hindi trial. Ang tanong lang natin, may sapat bang batayan para umusad ang proseso?,” she added.

The committee also expects the possible appearance of individuals linked to the allegations, including Ramil Madriaga, former alleged aide and bagman of the Vice President.

Also present were officials including National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag and representatives from the Commission on Audit (COA), as the committee continued its inquiry into the allegations raised in the impeachment complaint.

The developments come after the Vice President filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the impeachment proceedings, citing due process concerns and questioning the subpoenas issued by the House committee.