House prosecutors consider sending VP Sara Duterte bribery case to DOJ and Ombudsman

House prosecutors indicated they may endorse a formal complaint on the bribery charges leveled at Vice President Sara Duterte, directing it to the Department of Justice or the Ombudsman for a preliminary probe. The statement was made by lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro at a news forum in Quezon City after the panel filed a motion to pull Article III—bribery—from the Senate impeachment court's docket. Luistro said the panel is ready to make the necessary endorsement if required.

So far, the panel has presented evidence on three of the four impeachment articles originally filed against Duterte, including alleged grave threats toward President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as misuse of confidential funds. The Senate impeachment court is currently hearing Article II, which deals with unexplained wealth, while Article III accuses Duterte of giving monetary incentives to Department of Education officials to bypass procurement rules.