Duterte Files Response Seeking Impeachment Dismissal

Vice President Sara Duterte filed a consolidated response to two impeachment complaints against her on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Manila, arguing that the accusations should be dismissed for lacking sufficient factual basis and exhibiting procedural flaws. The 15-page document, submitted ad cautelam or with caution to the House Committee on Justice just before the 10-day deadline expired, admitted only basic details about her official roles while denying all other allegations as false, misleading, or mere speculation.

The complaints, deemed sufficient in both form and substance by the committee on March 4, stem from allegations of misconduct during Duterte's tenure as vice president and education secretary from July 2022 to June 2024. Key charges include the misuse of confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, issuance of death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, accumulation of unexplained wealth, violations of asset disclosure requirements, and bribery of education officials to favor certain procurement distributors. Supporting evidence cited in...