Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media, November 25, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17735840819011773584079212.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media, November 25, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The 10-day period that the House Committee on Justice gave Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the impeachment complaints against her ends on Monday with lawmakers and the public so far left to guess whether she will file one.</p><p>Her legal team — 16 lawyers, majority of whom are from the law firm of Fortun, Narvasa and Salazar — <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/11/vp-duterte-s-lawyers-enter-appearance-before-house-justice-panel-1711">has already submitted their Appearance Ad Cautelam</a> (with caution), a precautionary measure that does not necessarily acknowledge the panel&#x27;s jurisdiction.</p><p>&quot;Malapit naman ang Monday &#x27;no? Hintayin natin kung magfa-file ako o hindi. Hintay na lang sila,&quot; she said of the House in an interview in Davao City on Saturday.</p><p>(It&#x27;s almost Monday. Let&#x27;s just wait to see if I will one or not. They can just wait.)</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/14/sara-duterte-tells-house-to-wait-for-response-to-impeachment-complaints-2253"><strong>Sara Duterte tells House to wait for response to impeachment complaints</strong></a></div><p>The committee, which served her notice on March 5, said if she does not file a verified answer, she will have waived her right to do so “and shall be considered to have interposed a general denial to the allegations contained in the Impeachment Complaints.”</p><p>Bicol Saro Party-List Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the justice panel and among the vice president&#x27;s vocal critics, said <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/14/vp-dutertes-response-to-impeachment-complaints-expected-by-monday-says-ridon-1225">failure to answer could speed up proceedings</a>.</p><p>Those proceedings will include a hearing form probable cause to determine if the complaints will be sent to the House floor for voting. At least a third of the House must vote in favor of impeachment to send the case to the Senate for trial.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT ARE THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST DUTERTE?</strong></div><p>The committee found two of three complaints against Duterte — one filed by <strong></strong>Fr. Joel Saballa and other members of the clergy, and another filed by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera — sufficient in substance.</p><p>That means the allegations, if true, constitute the impeachable offenses of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/4/house-panel-sara-duterte-impeachment-complaint-sufficient-in-substance-1403"><strong>House panel: Sara Duterte impeachment complaints ‘sufficient in substance’<br/></strong></a></div><p>Among the grounds cited are the alleged misuse of confidential funds, alleged bribery of officials from the Department of Education, alleged unexplained wealth and material non-disclosure in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, and her allegedly contracting someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,  First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez — the former House speaker.</p><p>The allegations are the same that led to Duterte&#x27;s impeachment in 2025. The Supreme Court has since ruled that those proceedings were unconstitutional since complaints filed earlier were already deemed initiated.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/1/relief-from-house-abuse-or-court-overreach-sc-closes-case-on-2025-vp-sara-impeachment-2230"><strong>Relief from House &#x27;abuse&#x27; or court &#x27;overreach?&#x27; SC closes case on 2025 VP Sara impeachment</strong></a></div><p>Another complaint, filed by activists and endorsed by lawmakers of the Makabayan bloc, was dismissed after the committee decided it was filed before February 6 — when the one-year ban on fresh filing complaints against Duterte lapsed.</p><p>Duterte has long denied the allegations and has tied them to the 2028 elections, when, she said in February, she will run for president.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/15/vp-duterte-says-4-politicians-have-asked-to-run-for-senator-in-her-2028-slate-1501"><strong>VP Duterte says 4 politicians have asked to run for senator in her 2028 slate</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;FISHING EXPEDITION&#x27;</strong></div><p>In preparation for the potential impeachment proceedings, Akbayan Party-List Rep. Chel Diokno for the House <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/12/diokno-asks-house-panel-to-take-custody-of-madriaga-for-sara-duterte-impeachment-proceedings-0956">to take custody of Ramil Madriaga</a>, an alleged kidnapper in detention in Taguig City and who claims to have been Duterte&#x27;s bagman.</p><p><strong></strong>Diokno has also asked the justice committee to issue subpoenas for documents, including Duterte&#x27;s SALNs, that he said will be needed in the hearings.</p><p>Duterte has called the request for the House to take custody of Madriaga special treatment for an alleged kidnapper and &quot;<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/13/sara-duterte-slams-disturbing-bid-for-house-custody-of-madriaga-0951">a grave insult to the minor victim who was traumatized by his criminal acts</a>.&quot;</p><p>She also said that the move to subpoena her records shows the complaints are baseless.</p><p>She said the subpoenas would be an attempt to &quot;search for evidence to support accusations already made in the impeachment complaints.&quot;</p><p>Diokno, in response, said his request is meant to preserve documentary evidence and to make sure Madriaga is safe &quot;so the Committee on Justice can fulfill its duty of assessing the evidence.&quot;</p><p>Ridon also rejected the allegation of a &quot;fishing expedition&quot;, saying the committee can proceed even if it does not issue subpoenas for the documents. </p><p>&quot;It is essentially complete,&quot; he said of the case.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/14/vp-dutertes-response-to-impeachment-complaints-expected-by-monday-says-ridon-1225"><strong>VP Duterte&#x27;s response to impeachment complaints expected by Monday, says Ridon<br/></strong></a></div><p>Duterte this week also questioned the propriety of holding the proceedings while the country faces a fuel crisis brought by the US and Israel&#x27;s war against Iran that has seen pump prices surge.</p><p>She called it a misplaced priority and &quot;another insult&quot; to migrant Filipino workers, the poor, and to families “who may soon be pushed deeper into hardship as a result of war and its global consequences.”</p><p>Ridon countered that the House can address those concerns — approval of proposed legislation for emergency powers to <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/3/12/house-seen-to-ok-emergency-powers-on-fuel-excise-tax-on-monday-1656">suspend the excise tax on fuel is also expected on Monday</a> — alongside impeachment. <strong>— from reports by Harlene Delgado, Vivenne Gulla, Jervis Manahan, Job Manalo, Jamaine Punzalan, Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News</strong></p>

<p>The 10-day period that the House Committee on Justice gave Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the impeachment complaints against her ends on Monday with lawmakers and the public so far left to guess whether she will file one.</p>

The 10-day period that the House Committee on Justice gave Vice President Sara Duterte to answer the impeachment complaints against her ends on Monday with lawmakers and the public so far left to guess whether she will file one.

WRAP: Deadline for Duterte to answer impeachment complaints draws near

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

WRAP: Deadline for Duterte to answer impeachment complaints draws near

Jonathan de Santos,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 15, 2026 10:37 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

Impeachment

House of Representatives

Terry Ridon

Chel Diokno

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.