Jamaine Punzalan

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

Article (news)

VP SARA DUTERTE

Vivienne Gulla

Harlene Delgado

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<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/177251887609520260218-vp-sara-duterte-presidency-MT5 (1).jpg" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" 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 president during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The House justice committee voted Wednesday that two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte were “sufficient in substance” to move forward. </p><p>The panel ordered the issuance of a notice for Duterte to file her answer to the complaints within 10 days.</p><p>Duterte, who recently <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/18/sara-duterte-to-run-for-president-1102">announced her candidacy for the 2028 presidential election</a>, was impeached by the House of Representatives last year only to see the Supreme Court toss the case out over procedural issues.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/28/vp-duterte-s-planned-presidential-run-irrelevant-in-impeachment-proceedings-ridon-1501">VP Duterte&#x27;s planned presidential run &#x27;irrelevant&#x27; in impeachment proceedings: Ridon</a></div><p>The revived impeachment bid against her leans heavily on allegations that she misused public funds while in office. Duterte also stands accused of making a death threat against her former ally and current President Ferdinand Marcos, with whom she is engaged in an explosive political feud.</p><p>Duterte has denied the charges.</p><p>Fifty-four House panel members voted to declare the complaints “sufficient in substance”. Only Quezon City Fourth District Representative Bong Suntay voted against it, and no one abstained.</p><p>&quot;Our vote today is not a verdict of guilt nor an act of condemnation. It&#x27;s simply a decision on whether the constitutional process should move forward,&quot; Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez said minutes before the vote.</p><p>One complaint was filed by members of the clergy and endorsed by Rep. Leila De Lima, while the second was filed by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera and endorsed by Reps. Paolo Ortega and Bienvenido Abante Jr.</p><p>At least one-third of the House must vote in favor of impeachment for the case to move to the Senate.</p><p>A guilty verdict in the Senate trial would result in Duterte being barred from politics and sidelined from the 2028 presidential race. </p><p>Analysts have warned that Duterte&#x27;s presidential announcement will weigh heavily on lawmakers forced to gauge the repercussions of a vote against someone who may yet hold the country&#x27;s highest office.</p><div><strong>PALACE: MARCOS HANDS OFF </strong></div><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not interfere in the impeachment proceedings against Duterte, Malacañang said. </p><p>“Hindi po makikialam ang Pangulo kung ano po ang mangyayari at magaganap sa hearing sa impeachment complaint laban kay Bise Presidente,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said. </p><p>“Ang tanging nais lamang po niya ay masunod ang proseso, masunod ang Konstitusyon at makita kung anuman ang ebidensiya at kung may dapat na managot, managot – hanggang doon lamang po,” she said in a press briefing. </p><p>The Palace official noted that she and Marcos Jr. have yet to talk about the impeachment, saying that they were focused on issues concerning the growing Middle East conflict.</p><p>The same committee hearing the case against Duterte last month tossed out a pair of impeachment complaints against Marcos, ruling that allegations of corruption over a scandal involving bogus flood control projects lacked substance.</p><div><strong>DUTERTE TEAM TO &#x27;CAREFULLY REVIEW&#x27; PROCEEDINGS</strong></div><p>Michael Wesley Poa, spokesman for Duterte&#x27;s defense team, said they “have been informed of the vote of the House of Representatives finding the 3rd and 4th impeachment complaints sufficient in form and substance.”</p><p>&quot;At this stage, the Vice President’s legal team will carefully review the actions taken by the House and the Committee, as well as the records of the proceedings,&quot; he said in a statement. </p><p>Duterte earlier in the day said <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/4/sara-duterte-says-impeachment-proceedings-not-a-priority-of-her-office-1031">she had not been monitoring the proceedings</a>, which she said were not a priority of her office.</p><p>&quot;For now, we will refrain from discussing the substance of the case in the media and will instead address these matters through the proper constitutional processes,&quot; Poa said.</p><p>Duterte refused to answer questions if she was willing to attend the proceedings if invited by the House.</p><div><iframe width="1023" height="575" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S9DSvQAR5as" title="LIVE: House holds press briefing on complaints for impeachment vs. VP Sara Duterte" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The House justice committee voted Wednesday that two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte were “sufficient in substance” to move forward.</p>

The House justice committee voted Wednesday that two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte were “sufficient in substance” to move forward.

House panel: Sara Duterte impeachment complaints ‘sufficient in substance’

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House panel: Sara Duterte impeachment complaints ‘sufficient in substance’

Vivienne Gulla,

Harlene Delgado,

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse,

Published Mar 04, 2026 02:03 PM PHT

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Updated Mar 04, 2026 04:27 PM PHT

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Sara Duterte

Duterte impeachment

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