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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider VP Duterte, legal team to skip crucial impeachment hearing--Luistro

VP Duterte, legal team to skip crucial impeachment hearing--Luistro

Published Mar 24, 2026 11:53 pm

At A Glance

  • The House Committee on Justice has confirmed that Vice President Sara Duterte and her defense team will not attend the scheduled first day Wednesday, March 25 of the "hearings proper" of the latter's impeachment proceedings.
Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)
Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)


The House Committee on Justice has confirmed that Vice President Sara Duterte and her defense team will not attend the scheduled first day Wednesday, March 25 of the "hearings proper" of the latter's impeachment proceedings.
Despite this, committee chairperson, Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro said that the Wednesday hearing at the People’s Center in the House of Representatives would be carry out as planned.
“We received information that the Vice President and her legal team will not be participating in tomorrow’s (Wednesday) formal hearing,” Luistro said.
“They (Duterte camp) are questioning the constitutionality of the proceedings, but the Committee on Justice is duty-bound to continue with its mandate under the Constitution,” Luistro said.
The lawyer-congresswoman said that the panel will push through with the hearing in line with its obligation to determine whether the two remaining impeachment complaints against Duterte warrant further action.
“The hearing will proceed,” she emphasized.
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville
Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro (PPAB)
Luistro maintained that the justice panel remains committed to conducting the proceedings fairly and within the bounds of the Constitution. She noted that the Vice President was given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
The formal hearings are part of the panel’s ongoing proceedings to assess the impeachment raps, which it earlier found sufficient in form, substance, and grounds.
During the hearings proper stage, the Luistro panel is expected to hear testimonies and examine evidence in a bid to determine probable cause--a key requirement prior to the potential transmittal of the impeachment case to the Senate.

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Sara Duterte impeachment Gerville \"Jinky Bitrics\" Luistro
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