An impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte is unlikely to prosper, according to constitutional lawyer Atty. Joseph Emmanuel Cera.
Cera explained that a two-thirds majority vote in Congress is required to remove the Vice President, a threshold that is difficult to meet under the current circumstances.
He noted that even securing one-third of the votes to proceed with the complaint would be challenging, given Duterte’s strong support base in Congress.
The complaint was filed by opposition figures, including Teresita Quintos Deles, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, Fr. Robert Reyes, and former Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, among others, and was endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña.
Cera observed that many senators appear to favor Duterte, reducing the likelihood of the impeachment succeeding in the Senate.
He also highlighted that the upcoming elections may influence lawmakers’ decisions as they weigh their political survival and future campaigns.
The impeachment case includes 24 articles against Duterte, but Cera warned that the investigation could take over a year, further complicating its progress.
The political climate and procedural hurdles suggest the complaint is unlikely to reach a resolution before the next election cycle.