MANILA — Members of the House justice committee denied allegations that they were pressured or offered monetary compensation to vote in favor of finding probable cause to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

In a report, House justice committee chairperson Gerville Luistro, Senior Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima, Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua, and Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña made the statement in separate interviews and remarks following the panel’s unanimous vote finding probable cause to impeach the Vice President.

Luistro said she did not experience any form of influence or pressure related to the vote.

“In as far as I am concerned, I beg to disagree with that. Wala po akong na-encounter na tumatawag na sinuman maging sa akin o sa aking chief of staff concerning the support to this impeachment process,” Luistro said in an Unang Hirit interview.

“I wish to add that in my capacity as chair, we cannot stand for either party. We stood for the process. During the clarificatory hearing of the Justice Committee, we have been impartial, independent, because we acted as investigators in a proceeding akin to a preliminary investigation,” she added.

De Lima also dismissed claims of inducement or coercion, saying committee members voted based on the evidence presented.

“I am a member of the [House justice] committee, at wala namang tawag sa akin [para bumoto in favor]. Haka-haka lang ‘yan, paninira lang iyan, iniinsulto lang nila ang mga bumoto [para sa probable cause],” De Lima told reporters.

“The vote was unanimous, so the other side will be insulted and enraged,” she added.

Chua said no pressure was necessary for lawmakers to reach their decision, citing what he described as strong evidence presented during the hearings.

“Kitang-kita mo naman ang ebidensiya tapos pipikit ka, tatalikuran mo ito at sasabihin mong walang probable cause, mahihirapan ka kung paano mo ipapaliwanag ito sa iyong constituents,” Chua, who chairs the House good government and public accountability panel, said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

“We are only determining probable cause. We are not determining the guilt or otherwise. Ang sinasabi [ng probable cause], baka ginawa [niya],” he added.

Cendaña also rejected the allegations, calling them part of a smear campaign against lawmakers supporting the impeachment process.

“Paninira lang ito, and a continuing threat against those who are voting in favor of the impeachment. We have expected this black propaganda, but this should not discourage the House members. Kinakailangang manindigan sila,” Cendaña told reporters.

“’Yung boto kahapon, maliwanag na matindi ang ebidensiya at dapat mag-proceed sa boto in favor of probable cause. The pieces of evidence presented were way beyond the threshold of evidence needed for probable cause. Iniiba nila ang usapan. Ang usapan rito ay ang pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan at pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan,” he added.

The House justice panel’s impeachment proceedings have cited multiple pieces of testimony and documents, including allegations on the handling of confidential funds, Commission on Audit findings on disallowances, bank transaction reports flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and testimonies on questionable receipts and identities linked to confidential fund recipients.

It also included claims regarding bank transactions involving Vice President Duterte and her husband, alleged irregularities in Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth filings, and findings from law enforcement agencies on various complaints and reports.

The Vice President’s camp, however, maintained that the impeachment proceedings are unconstitutional, arguing that trial proceedings fall under the jurisdiction of the Senate impeachment court.

Atty. Paul Lawrence Lim, counsel for Duterte in a related complaint, said the evidence presented against her was insufficient.

“Evidence is curated, even spliced. Context is ignored. Opinion is substituted for facts. Guesswork is presented as investigation results,” Lim said in a statement.