Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

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/177440811992520250625-kasarilayaan-duterte-MT15.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte attends an event in San Fernando, Pampanga, June 25, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed that she would not attend the House Justice Committee’s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/25/house-panel-launches-four-day-hearings-on-sara-duterte-impeachment-case-0801">impeachment hearing proper </a>on Wednesday, saying that she would rather focus on helping Filipinos cope with woes brought about by the Middle East crisis.</p><p>In a statement, Duterte accused the House panel of concocting a “media narrative” and another “fishing expedition” against her. </p><p>“Ang imbitasyon na dumalo sa pagdinig ng Committee on Justice ay tila ginagamit upang makabuo ng isang media narrative na magkakaroon ng ‘mini-trial,’ batay sa umano&#x27;y hindi ko pagsagot at hindi pagdalo,” she said. </p><p>The Vice President also slammed the lower House for allegedly prioritizing politics over addressing public welfare. </p><p>“Sa ganitong paraan, ginagamit ang mga pagdinig upang makapagsagawa na naman ang House of Representatives ng ikatlong fishing expedition laban sa akin. Muli, inuuna ang politika kaysa sa kapakanan ng milyon-milyong Pilipino na hirap na hirap dahil sa mahal na bilihin,” Duterte added.</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><p>Duterte further maintained that she is not required to attend the proceedings, noting that the panel should junk the complaints against her for “clear lack of evidence”.</p><p>&quot;Malinaw na walang patakaran na nagsasabing kailangang personal na dumalo ang respondent sa impeachment complaint sa mga pagdinig ng Committee on Justice,” the Vice President said.</p><p>“Naisumite ko na ang aking Answer ad Cautelam. Sa ngayon, wala nang dapat pang gawin ang Komite kundi ibasura ang mga reklamo dahil sa malinaw na kakulangan ng ebidensya,” Duterte said</p><p>“Samantala, mas pipiliin kong ilaan ang aking oras sa pagtulong sa mga Pilipino-lalo na sa pagbibigay ng paalala, diretso sa mga komunidad, upang maibsan ang hirap sa gastusin ng mga pamilyang higit na nangangailangan,” she added.</p><p>Meanwhile, Batangas Second District Rep. Gerville Luistro, chairperson of the committee, opened the hearing by casting the proceeding 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 also defended the use of the term &quot;mini-trial,&quot; which she said was &quot;intended only to make a distinction&quot; between the proceeding before the Justice Committee and the Senate, which convenes an impeachment court for a full trial.</p><p>&quot;Let us always be reminded that our parameter in our hearing proper is the determination of probable cause only, which means the justification to be able to proceed to trial,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;We are not yet determining the guilt, we are not holding trial. This is just a clarificatory hearing,&quot; Luistro stressed.</p><div><strong>—With a report from Rowegie Abanto, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q8Jl1fcX1ns" title="&#x27;Kung may ebidensiya, ilabas na!&#x27;: Tiangco urges House on VP Sara impeachment | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/drdv-LI2jsU" title="Trillanes tetestigo sa impeach hearing vs VP Sara Duterte ngayong Abril | DZMM TeleRadyo" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RX0qEfHtOuM" title="What if Sara Duterte resigns during impeachment proceedings? Luistro explains | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed that she would not attend the House Justice Committee’s impeachment hearing proper on Wednesday, saying that she would rather focus on helping Filipinos cope with woes brought about by the Middle East crisis.</p>

Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed that she would not attend the House Justice Committee’s impeachment hearing proper on Wednesday, saying that she would rather focus on helping Filipinos cope with woes brought about by the Middle East crisis.

Sara Duterte skips impeachment hearing proper, accuses House of prioritizing politics over public woes

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Sara Duterte skips impeachment hearing proper, accuses House of prioritizing politics over public woes

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 25, 2026 11:11 AM PHT

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Updated March 25, 2026 11:48 AM PHT

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Sara Duterte

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