Luistro defends integrity of impeachment proceedings vs. VP

By Jose Cielito Reganit, Philippine News Agency

Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro (House of Representatives of the Philippines/facebook)

MANILA – The House Committee on Justice refused to rush, take shortcuts, or abandon its mandate in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte despite press conferences, Supreme Court (SC) petitions, and a complaint before a city prosecutor, Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro said Monday.

“Sinunod natin ang Konstitusyon. Hindi tayo nagmadali; hindi tayo nag-shortcut. We honored the process,” Luistro, chair of the House Committee on Justice, said in her opening statement as the panel moved to finalize its committee report and articles of impeachment.

Luistro, the panel chair, stressed that every step of the proceedings was handled with care because the committee was dealing with a constitutional process and allegations against the second-highest official of the land.

“Bawat hakbang, bawat salita, bawat ebidensya, hinarap natin nang buong pag-iingat at pananagutan (Every step, statement, and evidence, we faced with full caution and responsibility),” she said.

The committee began its proceedings on March 2 with sufficiency in form, followed by sufficiency in substance on March 4, sufficiency in grounds on March 18, preliminary matters and subpoenas on March 25, and marathon evidentiary hearings on April 14, April 22, and April 29.

The hearings, Luistro said, were long, difficult, and marked by moments when some answers became clearer while new questions emerged.

“We heard the evidence. We examined the evidence,” she said, describing the process as demanding, but she maintained that the panel never lost its direction.

“We certainly had our ups and downs. We had our inflows and outflows of testimonies and documents. But through it all, one thing remained certain: we never went sideways. Hindi tayo naligaw. Nanatili tayong may direksyon (We never got lost. We remained on course),” Luistro said.

She acknowledged that the committee members faced exhaustion and public pressure as the proceedings drew attacks from outside the hearing room.

She cited Duterte’s press conferences, pending Supreme Court petitions, and the complaint before the Office of the City Prosecutor as attempts that could have distracted or slowed the committee.

“Opo, maraming hakbang ang ginawa upang pigilan ang prosesong ito, pero sa kabila ng lahat, hindi tayo natinag (Yes, various steps were taken to stop this process, but despite everything, we were not shaken),” Luistro said, maintaining that the panel’s work was defined by discipline under pressure rather than by the absence of resistance.

“For in the end, it is not the absence of struggle that defined us, but the refusal to lose our way, the discipline to stay the course, and the clarity to never lose sight of where we are going,” she added.

Luistro said the House Committee on Justice had to live up to its constitutional role by ensuring fairness to the complainants, to the Vice President through due process, and to the Filipino people through accountability.

“We were given that name for a reason,” she said. “Today, we hope we have lived up to that name.”

Monday’s hearing is the final step in the committee phase before the matter moves to the plenary.

Luistro urged the committee to continue the process to its proper conclusion, saying public office cannot be shielded from serious allegations by delay or silence.