Camille Naredo

Members of the House of Representatives votes to adopt the Articles of Impeachment and the House Committee on Justice report during a plenary session in Quezon City on May 11, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Members of the House of Representatives votes to adopt the Articles of Impeachment and the House Committee on Justice report during a plenary session in Quezon City on May 11, 2026. The House voted 257 in favor of the impeachment, while 25 voted no and 9 abstained. The Articles of Impeachment, which are based on four grounds—misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats—will be endorsed to the Senate, which will convene as the impeachment court to hold the formal trial.

Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP SARA IMPEACHMENT

Vivienne Gulla

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/178039571472120260511-vp-sara-impeachment-plenary-JC-2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Members of the House of Representatives votes to adopt the Articles of Impeachment and the House Committee on Justice report during a plenary session in Quezon City on May 11, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of the House of Representatives votes to adopt the Articles of Impeachment and the House Committee on Justice report during a plenary session in Quezon City on May 11, 2026. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA – Members of the House prosecution criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s answer to the Articles of Impeachment as “unresponsive,” “rehashed,” and “seeks to avoid trial.”</p><p>Lead House Impeachment Prosecutor Gerville Luistro said that instead of directly and substantively answering the allegations in the articles, Duterte’s answer raised technicalities and constitutional questions already pending before the Supreme Court.</p><p>She added that even the evidence attached to Duterte’s answer were on the alleged procedural issues, and “nothing” to counter the allegations in the articles.</p><p>The Articles of Impeachment accused the Vice President of alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats.</p><p>“Hindi niya sinagot ‘yung mismong allegation of offenses against the Vice President. I don&#x27;t know if this is part of their legal strategy that up to this time, wala pa rin tayong nakikitang direktang sagot sa mga allegation of offenses,” Luistro said.</p><p>“Instead of responding to the allegations of offenses, ang mga nire-raise nila puro technical issues. Wala ring evidence na naka-attach,except for evidence on the allegations of technicalities, walang evidence corresponding to the allegations of offenses,” Luistro added.</p><p>House Impeachment Prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party List Representative Terry Ridon said that the vice president’s statement has been “rehashed” of her non-answer in the previous proceedings.</p><div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/1/sara-duterte-files-impeachment-reply-1646"><strong>Sara Duterte responds to impeachment raps</strong></a></div><p>“Wala po itong inilatag na bago. And more importantly, parang may na-miss out po sila ng mga factual matters na napag-usapan po ng isang buong buwan doon po sa House Justice Committee proceedings,” Ridon said.</p><p>“Ito ay maletang walang laman, dahil katulad ng nasabi ko nga, parang wala naman po silang sinagot point for point. And very evident po ‘yung hindi nila masyadong tinalakay ‘yung threats against the President,” he added.</p><p>Ridon said that the constitutionality of Duterte’s impeachment case has “long left the station,” saying other constitutional and jurisdictional questions are now baseless. </p><p>For House impeachment prosecutors Chel Diokno and Leila De Lima, Duterte’s answers show her avoidance to trial.</p><p>“Allergic o takot lang ba talaga siyang humarap sa proseso ng pananagutan? Huwag niyang ipagkait sa taumbayan ang katotohanan at pananagutan,” De Lima said in a statement.</p><p>“Simple lang ang tanong: Kung walang itinatago, bakit ayaw ng trial? Sundin ang Konstitusyon. Sundin ang due process. Walang special treatment sa mata ng batas,” Diokno said.</p><p>The prosecution will oppose Duterte’s call to dismiss the articles of impeachment, according to Luistro, stressing that the rules and the Constitution do not provide for a “dismissal”.</p><p>“Maging sa Constitution po, or doon sa Senate Rules on Impeachment, you will never see a motion to dismiss. Neither will you see a motion to dismiss. Neither will you see remand, nor clarification, nor archiving. Ang sinasabi lamang po ng Senate Rules at ng Constitution, trial forthwith, and after that, judgment which is either conviction or acquittal,” Luistro explained.</p><p>The House prosecution will meet to discuss whether or not they will file a reply to Duterte’s answer to the articles of impeachment.</p><p>“Pwede mag-file ng reply, pwede rin hindi mag-file ng reply. Considering that there are no direct responses to the allegation of offenses, I think that is one of our major considerations, as to what action are we going to take,” Luistro said.</p><p> “Somehow it will hasten the process. Five days lang naman ang pinag-uusapan natin doon for filing a reply… I don&#x27;t think that there will be a damage on the position of the prosecution because there is no direct response to the allegation of offenses. As a matter of fact, there is no specific denial. Lahat general denial lang,” she added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘NOT A FISHING EXPEDITION’</strong></div><p>Luistro denied Duterte’s claim that the House Committee on Justice exceeded the constitutional limits of its authority and conducted a “fishing expedition.”</p><p>The Lead House Impeachment prosecutor stressed that the House panel has authority to subpoena documents to weigh whether the complaints have probable cause to impeach the Vice President. She added due process was given to Duterte.</p><p>“We are not conducting a fishing expedition. As a matter of fact, the issuance of subpoena for the production of documents and compelling the witnesses to appear before the Justice Committee is very much aligned to the rules on impeachment of the House of Representatives,” Luistro explained.</p><p>Luistro clarified that the use of the term “mini-trial” was only to make disparities between the proceeding, which according to her, is “small before the House of Representatives and the big proceeding, which will happen in the Senate.”</p><p>“That is the only intention. But as far as the nature of the proceeding is concerned, of course that is not a trial. That is not even a mini-trial. That is merely a clarificatory hearing intended for the purpose of determining the existence or non-existence of probable cause,” she added.</p><p>On Tuesday, Kabataan Partylist hosted a forum on the impeachment process, which was attended by youth delegates and members of the House prosecution panel.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/2/sara-duterte-independence-of-institutions-must-be-protected-1735">Sara Duterte: &#x27;Independence of institutions must be protected&#x27;</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_N5sf9gvvYQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Members of the House prosecution criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s answer to the Articles of Impeachment as “unresponsive,” “rehashed,” and “seeks to avoid trial.”</p>

Members of the House prosecution criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s answer to the Articles of Impeachment as “unresponsive,” “rehashed,” and “seeks to avoid trial.”

House impeachment prosecutors criticize VP Duterte’s answer to articles of impeachment

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House impeachment prosecutors criticize VP Duterte’s answer to articles of impeachment

Vivienne Gulla,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 02, 2026 06:25 PM PHT

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House of Representatives

Impeachment

Sara Duterte

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