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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
March 21, 2026 | 12:00am
Vice President Sara Duterte conducts a press conference in Mandaluyong on February 18, 2026.
STAR / Miguel de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has received an invitation from the House committee on justice to attend its March 25 hearing on the impeachment complaints filed against her, her counsel confirmed yesterday.
“Yes, the invitation was received yesterday,” Michael Poa, spokesman for Duterte’s 16-member defense team, said.
In a March 19 letter, committee chair and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro formally invited Duterte to personally attend the hearing, which will be held at 10 a.m. at the People’s Center Building in the House of Representatives in Quezon City.
The March 25 meeting will cover the discussion of ground rules and the initial hearing on the complaints, which accuse the Vice President of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
The complaints were filed by two separate complainants: Fr. Joel Saballa, endorsed by Rep. Leila de Lima, and lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera, endorsed by Reps. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and Paolo Ortega V.
The committee is also expected to tackle other matters, including pending motions, possible subpoenas and the identification of resource persons and witnesses for subsequent hearings scheduled on April 14, 22 and 29.
Poa, however, did not say whether Duterte would attend the hearing, raising concerns about the defense’s ability to challenge the complainants’ evidence.
“Our dilemma is how do we rebut if we cannot even cross-examine the witnesses the complainants will be presenting to test the credibility of their testimonies,” Poa said in a television interview.
Meanwhile, Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said the upcoming proceedings could mark the first full public presentation of evidence related to the complaints.
Bribery denied
Amid the scheduled proceedings, House leaders pushed back against allegations that lawmakers were bribed to support the impeachment.
Key officials denied claims made by Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco that members of the chamber were promised funding allocations in exchange for backing the complaints against Duterte.
“Ano daw kapalit? Wala akong alam na kapalit…I’ve been working on this… to come up with an orderly proceeding, an organized proceeding, and of course a decision which will be acceptable to the people,” Luistro said in a joint statement with Chua.
“I don’t know anything about those being referred to by Cong. Toby Tiangco in exchange for our judgment, decision or position with regard to this impeachment complaint. For me, of course, I cannot speak for others, but for me, I really see this as my constitutional duty that I should be able to discharge,” she added. — Jose Rodel Clapano
