DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / March 28) – Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday said she does not think about  the impeachment hearing at the House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice that started on March 25 and will resume on April 14, claiming it is “not a priority.”

“Hindi ko na iniisip ang impeachment sa panahon ngayon. Iniwan ko na lahat sa mga abogado” (I do not think about the impeachment these days. I left it all to my lawyers), she told reporters on Saturday at the San Pedro Square here after the Parada Dabawenyo, a civic parade usually held on the city’s anniversary on March 16 but scheduled this year for March 28, coinciding with the 81st birthday of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.  A solidary walk to “bring him home alive” has been scheduled for the afternoon. 

Duterte was a no-show in the March 25 hearing “in light of the constitutional objections raised” by her legal team. 

Duterte’s legal panel is a 16-member team led by Philip Sigfried Fortun. 

Several lawyers led by Davao City-based Isrealito Torreon petitioned the Supreme Court last Friday to stop the impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives.

The Vice President said Torreon’s team  did not consult her on the petition but thanked them for the move. 

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa independent lawyers na hindi kasama sa defense team na nag-iisip pa rin na ipaglaban ang saligang batas at kontrahin ang pag-aabuso ng proseso ng impeachment” (I thank the independent lawyers who are not part of the defense team for defending the Constitution and fighting the abuses in the impeachment process), she said. 

On March 2, the House Committee on Justice declared two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte sufficient in form, allowing the proceedings to move forward. Earlier, it set aside one complaint and approved the withdrawal of another. 

Impeachment requires a one-third (1/3) vote of all members of the House of Representatives to initiate charges. It is the House of Representatives that initiates the impeachment complaint but once approved, this goes to the Senate for trial. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of all Senators is required to convict and remove an official. 

The Vice President was impeached in February last year but before the Senate could schedule the trial, the Supreme Court declared the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional for violating the  one-year ban and due process. It said  any impeachment complaint cannot be filed against Duterte until February 6, 2026. 

The Supreme Court, however, stressed that the decision does not absolve Duterte of the charges filed against her. 

Duterte announced on February 18 that she will run for President in the 2028 elections. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)