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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Evasive VP': Barbers, Abante wonder when Duterte will show up at impeachment trial

'Evasive VP': Barbers, Abante wonder when Duterte will show up at impeachment trial

Published Aug 16, 2026 04:55 pm

At A Glance

  • Vice President Sara Duterte faces criticism from House impeachment figures Robert Ace Barbers and Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. for her continued absence at the Senate impeachment trial.
  • Barbers highlights the contradiction between Duterte's past assurances to face complaints in the "proper forum" and her refusal to attend, while Abante calls her absence "disrespect" toward the constitutional process.
  • Both stress that evidence remains regardless of her absence, with Abante likening her repeated nonappearance to "defaulting" on her duty, as the trial proceeds on allegations of fund misuse, false asset declarations, unexplained wealth, and death threats.
From left: Robert Ace Barbers, Vice President Sara Duterte, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. (PPAB, Facebook)
From left: Robert Ace Barbers, Vice President Sara Duterte, Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. (PPAB, Facebook)


Vice President Sara Duterte has been assailed over what pro-impeachment trial personalities in the House of Representatives have described as her persistent "evasive posture".
This, as House impeachment adviser Robert Ace Barbers and impeachment complaint endorser Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. pointed out Duterte’s continued absence from her Senate impeachment trial.
Barbers highlighted the contradiction between Duterte’s previous assurances that she would face complaints and investigations in the “proper forum” and her decision to stay away from the country’s ultimate constitutional forum for accountability.
“The Vice President repeatedly said she would face the issues against her and let the proper forum decide. Apparently, when the proper forum finally arrived, she decided she had other plans,” Barbers said in a statement Sunday, Aug. 16.
“The Senate impeachment court is not a courtroom one can attend only when convenient. You cannot say you respect due process and then practice selective attendance when the process is no longer to your liking,” he stressed.
Disrespect
For Abante, respondent Duterte’s failure to personally appear before the Senate impeachment court shows “disrespect” for the constitutional process.
“Her (Duterte) absence speaks of her disrespect towards the constitutional agency that should actually proceed with the impeachment complaint against her. Disrespect ‘yun eh (That is disrespect),” Abante told a news forum on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Abante says Congress is constitutional mandated to investigate government actions and exercise oversight, making Duterte’s refusal to personally face lawmakers a matter of institutional accountability.
Duterte has likewise not personally appeared before the Senate impeachment court since her trial started on July 6, although her lawyers have been attending the proceedings and mounting her defense.
Fifteen hearings have been carried out so far in front of senator-judges. Monday, Aug. 16 marks the 16th hearing date.
Barbers noted that Duterte’s camp had previously questioned the credibility of executive investigations and House proceedings, and cited alleged bias.
Evidence here to stay
“If every forum is ‘biased’ simply because it asks difficult questions, then perhaps the only acceptable forum is one where nobody asks any questions,” he said sarcastically. “Unfortunately, the Constitution did not create that kind of forum.”
“Staying away from the Senate does not make the evidence stay away. If anything, the empty seat becomes another question the Filipino people are entitled to ask: If you are confident in your innocence, why not show up and say so yourself?” asked the former three-term Surigao del Norte congressman.
Abante said that while he was not equating Duterte’s absence with guilt, he maintained that she should personally face the allegations against her.
“Alam mo naman sa sports kapag hindi humarap ‘yung kalaban, di ba, panalo na ‘yung default, default ‘yan. Sa akin eh, masyado nang dine-default ng Vice President ang kanyang tungkulin eh, na dapat niya harapin ito,” he added.
(You know in sports, when the opponent doesn’t show up, that’s already a win by default. For me, the Vice President has defaulted too much on her duty, which she should be facing.)
Vice President Duterte's conviction via impeachment trial is being sought over her offices' alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds; untruthful declarations in the filing of her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth; unexplained wealth; and death threats to President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez.
Barbers and Abante are the overall chairman of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) during the 19th and 20th Congress, respectively.

Related Tags

impeachment Sara Duterte Bienvenido \"Benny\" Abante Robert Ace Barbers
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