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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Chua agrees with House colleagues: VP Duterte is afraid

Chua agrees with House colleagues: VP Duterte is afraid

Published Mar 28, 2026 02:22 pm

At A Glance

  • Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua has echoed the opinion of his fellow House of Representatives members that the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte was either afraid or unwilling to participate in her impeachment case.
Vice President Sara Duterte (left), Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua (PPAB)
Vice President Sara Duterte (left), Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua (PPAB)


Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua has echoed the opinion of his fellow House of Representatives members that the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte was either afraid or unwilling to participate in her impeachment case.
This, following the filing of a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the impeachment proceedings.
Although the petitioner, lawyer Israelito Torreon, has distanced himself from Duterte and her legal team, Chua still interpreted the action as manifestation of the Vice President's supposed fear.
“This petition only confirms our suspicion from the very beginning that the Vice President is afraid of a full blown trial in the Senate contrary to her claim that she wants bloodbath!” Chua said in a statement Saturday, March 28.
Vice President Duterte, during the House's impeachment proceedings last year, declared that she wanted a "bloodbath" as it pertained to her case. However, an actual Senate impeachment trial never took place, and the SC subsequently declared the impeachment complaint unconstitutional due to a technicality.
Chua says the recent filing of the TRO petition appears to be an attempt to stop the process before it reaches the stage where evidence will be fully presented and tested.
Currently, the House Committee on Justice, of which Chua is a member, is trying to determine probable cause in the two active impeachment complaints against Duterte this year.
Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, an endorser of one of the two complaints, also smelled fear from the direction of the Vice President.
May pa-'bloodbath, bloodbath' pang sinasabi noon. Sa simpleng committee hearing nga ay takot na takot ngayon (So much for the 'bloodbath' that you were looking for last time. A simple committee hearing strikes so much fear in you now)," De Lima said, in reaction to the TRO petition.
For his part, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña said: "Hindi nakakapagtaka. Expected na ‘yan. Korap lang ang ayaw humarap (No mystery there. That's expected. Only the corrupt doesn't want to face the case)."
Duterte's camp sent a letter to the justice panel last March 24 to say that neither the respondent nor her legal team would participate in the committee hearings. It said that the justice panel had no jurisdiction over the case, and that it cannot hold a trial against Duterte.
Chua maintained that the House remains focused on its constitutional mandate to determine probable cause, and added that the process was anchored on evidence and due process.

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