Jamaine Punzalan

Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on February 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP SARA DUTERTE

Rowegie Abanto

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/177439847797420260218-vp-sara-duterte-presidency-MT5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on February 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATE</strong>) — The House Committee on Justice on Wednesday launched the four-day crucial hearings on the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.</p><p>The hearing comes a week after the House panel found that the impeachment complaints against Duterte <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/18/house-justice-panel-sara-duterte-impeachment-hearing-1040">had sufficient grounds</a> to proceed to a &quot;hearing proper&quot; and is being held against the backdrop of an <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/24/marcos-declares-state-of-national-energy-emergency-1927">energy crisis rattling the country</a> and the world.</p><p>Batangas Second District Rep. Gerville Luistro, chairperson of the committee, opened the hearing by casting the impeachment hearing as a &quot;constitutional duty&quot; that needs to be fulfilled even as the nation faces other pressing issues, such as the rising cost of fuel and other goods.</p><p>&quot;The House of Representatives does not forget its other responsibilities,&quot; she said, noting that the chamber also addresses inflation, food security and social services.</p><p>&quot;These actions remind us that governance is a constant balancing act attending to urgent needs while fulfilling constitutional obligations,&quot; she added.</p><p>Luistro called this stage in Duterte&#x27;s impeachment case a &quot;mini-trial&quot; because the camp of the Vice President could present their counterarguments before the members of the panel.</p><p>Luistro told radio DZMM on Tuesday evening that neither Duterte nor her lawyers would attend the first day of the hearings, saying her camp was &quot;questioning&quot; the constitutionality of the proceedings.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/24/sara-duterte-to-skip-house-justice-panel-hearing-on-impeachment-complaints-2339">Sara Duterte to skip House justice panel hearing on impeachment complaints</a></div><p>The camp of the Vice President had asked the panel to dismiss the impeachment complaints against her, citing alleged absence of ultimate facts, alleged violation of her right to due process, and alleged <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/17/vp-duterte-spox-hits-double-standards-in-house-impeachment-proceedings-1044">&quot;double standards&quot;</a> in the House panel proceedings.</p><p>But the lawmaker has repeatedly defended the action of her committee in dealing with impeachment cases, arguing they have been carefully following their own rules and Supreme Court guidelines to ensure respondents like Duterte are afforded due process and opportunity to assail the allegations.</p><p>Luistro warned Duterte and her lawyers last week that their absence in the &quot;mini-trial&quot; could raise the possibility of her being impeached again by the House of Representatives, which prompts the Senate to conduct a trial.</p><div><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wufUP2s4Gtw" title="LIVE: House holds hearing on impeachment complaints vs. VP Sara Duterte | March 25, 2026" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The House panel will proceed tackling impeachment matters and will possibly proceed with the complainants&#x27; presentation of evidence despite Duterte skipping Wednesday&#x27;s hearing, Luistro said Tuesday.</p><p>She said the committee will deliberate on Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno&#x27;s request for subpoena of documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the National Bureau of Investigation.</p><p>It will also address Diokno&#x27;s petition for protective custody of witness Ramil Madriaga, who accused Duterte of obtaining campaign funds from illegal offshore gaming and drug trafficking operations.</p><p>Madriaga in November 2025 alleged that he had delivered huge sums of money to individuals upon the orders of Duterte, who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFbxp9vQLXE">denied the allegation</a>.</p><div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFbxp9vQLXE">VP Duterte files perjury complaint vs. alleged bagman Ramil Madriaga</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/18/former-vp-security-group-head-says-madriaga-allegations-baseless-1109">Former VP security group head says Madriaga allegations baseless</a></div><p>The panel may also tackle the alleged conflict of interest regarding the entry of appearance of lawyers Reynold Munsayac and Michael Poa, according to Luistro.</p><p>Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, member of the House Committee on Justice, last week said they want to avoid a situation in which Munsayac and Poa could invoke their lawyer-client privilege when they would be asked a question related to their work in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).</p><p>Munsayac served as Duterte&#x27;s spokesperson for the OVP while Poa was a spokesman for DepEd, which the Vice President headed for two years.</p><p>Duterte faces accusations of misusing confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd as well as allegation of death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her former ally.</p><p>The next three House hearings on the impeachment case will be conducted on April 14, 22, and 29, and Luistro said they will continue sending invitations to respondent Duterte and her lawyers every hearing.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong><strong><br/><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NRo31UqkJ64?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wphF19-fjV0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The House Committee on Justice will launch Wednesday the four-day crucial hearings on the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.</p>

The House Committee on Justice will launch Wednesday the four-day crucial hearings on the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.

House panel launches four-day 'mini-trial' on Sara Duterte impeachment case

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House panel launches four-day 'mini-trial' on Sara Duterte impeachment case

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 25, 2026 08:01 AM PHT

|

Updated March 25, 2026 10:43 AM PHT

Read More:

House Committee On Justice

Sara Duterte

Impeachment

Gerville Luistro

Sara Duterte Impeachment

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