MANILA — The House Committee on Justice did not rush or take shortcuts in handling the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte despite external pressures, panel chair and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said.

Speaking as the committee moved to finalize its report and articles of impeachment, Luistro stressed that the panel adhered strictly to constitutional requirements throughout the process.

“Sinunod natin ang Konstitusyon. Hindi tayo nagmadali; hindi tayo nag-shortcut. We honored the process,” Luistro said in her opening statement.

She emphasized that the proceedings were handled with caution, noting the gravity of dealing with a constitutional mechanism and allegations involving the country’s second-highest official.

“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 by determining the sufficiency in form of the complaint, followed by sufficiency in substance on March 4 and sufficiency in grounds on March 18. Preliminary matters and subpoenas were tackled on March 25, while evidentiary hearings were conducted on April 14, April 22, and April 29.

Luistro described the hearings as lengthy and challenging, with developments that clarified certain issues while raising new questions.

“We heard the evidence. We examined the evidence,” she said, adding that despite fluctuations in testimonies and documents, the panel maintained 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),” she said.

She acknowledged that committee members experienced fatigue and faced public pressure, citing press conferences by Duterte, petitions filed before the Supreme Court of the Philippines, and a complaint lodged with a city prosecutor as developments that could have affected the proceedings.

“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.

“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 committee sought to uphold its constitutional role by ensuring fairness to complainants, due process for the Vice President, and accountability to the public.

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

Monday’s hearing marked the final stage of the committee’s work before the matter is elevated to the plenary, with Luistro urging members to see the process through.

She said public office should not be shielded from serious allegations through delay or silence.