The 2026 impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte will be able to stand scrutiny from the Supreme Court (SC), Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said.

Ridon, a member of the House Committee on Justice, said on Sunday, March 22 that the panel’s rules-based approach on the Vice President's impeachment will ultimately shield it from any challenge that might come from the SC.

“Rules-based, evidence-based ang bawat hakbang ng komite. Lahat ng ruling ay nakaangkla sa ebidensya at sa umiiral na batas (Every step of the committee is rules-based and evidence-based. All rulings are anchored on evidence and existing law),” Ridon said.

“And if the matter is brought before the [SC], handa po ang komite na ipagtanggol ang proseso nang maayos, patas, at naaayon sa Konstitusyon (And if the matter is brought before the SC, the committee is prepared to defend the process properly, fairly, and in accordance with the Constitution),” added the lawyer-legislator.

The impeachment case pursued by the House of Representatives last year against Duterte--while much faster in terms of proceedings--was famously struck down by the high court due to a technicality.

This time, the House has been more methodical, with the justice panel proceeding to the "hearings proper" stage on the remaining two impeachment complaints against Duterte that were found sufficient in form, substance, and grounds.

Ridon rejected claims from the Vice President’s camp that the allegations were merely “legal conclusions” or speculation.

“But we have to be very clear—everything that has been discussed previously are not based on speculation, these are based on evidence,” he said.

He cited Commission on Audit (COA) reports and prior proceedings—including previous hearings by the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability or the House Blue Ribbon Committee—which uncovered findings on the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

“Hindi ho totoo na (It's not true that) all of these are based on conjecture,” he insisted.

Ridon also pointed to concrete bases of the complaints, including Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), alleged unexplained wealth, and COA findings.

“The existence of a SALN is a fact. Hindi pwedeng sabihing walang facts (They can't say that there are no facts),” Ridon said.

He noted that from 2007 to 2024, the Vice President’s estimated cumulative salary was only around P30 million to P40 million, leaving a gap that needs to be explained in relation to her reported net worth of about P88 million in 2025.

Ridon said the committee would subpoena business, tax, and professional records to determine whether the assets are explainable.

On confidential funds, he said allegations are backed by COA reports, including a disallowance of at least P70 million.

“Hindi ho ito haka-haka (These aren't conjectures). These are official audit findings,” he said, noting that confidential funds cannot be used for non-confidential activities such as team building.

At the same time, Ridon assured the public that due process was strictly observed throughout the proceedings.

“Sa usapin ng due process, maingat ho talaga tayo (We've been really careful on the matter of due process,” he said, adding that Duterte was given opportunities to respond and may present evidence at every stage.