3 hours ago
1
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
March 15, 2026 | 12:00am
Vice President Sara Duterte conducts a press conference in Mandaluyong on February 18, 2026.
STAR / Miguel de Guzman
MANILA, Philippines — The committee on justice of the House of Representatives expects Vice President Sara Duterte to beat tomorrow’s deadline for her to submit a response to allegations in the impeachment cases filed against her.
“The 10-day period will end by this weekend. Hopefully by Monday, the answer will be submitted to Congress, to the House committee on justice,” Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the justice committee, said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
Failure of the Duterte camp to submit a response would prompt the committee to proceed with its hearing on the cases on March 17 or 18 or way ahead of the April 8 original schedule, chairperson Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro earlier said.
The STAR left a message for one of Duterte’s lawyers, Michael Po, seeking their comment but received no reply as of last night.
Also at the forum, Ridon rejected Duterte’s claim that lawmakers were engaging in a “fishing expedition,” saying the issues raised against her are backed by substantial evidence even if there are no subpoenas yet on key documents.
“It is not true because a fishing expedition presupposes an absolute absence of documentation before proceeding with any impeachment,” he said.
Duterte and her allies have questioned recent moves by some lawmakers to subpoena additional records and secure witnesses, claiming the impeachment inquiry has turned into a “fishing expedition.”
Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno said requests for subpoenas are necessary for obtaining financial records that cannot be accessed outside impeachment proceedings, including financial documents protected under the country’s bank secrecy laws.
“In truth, even if we don’t undertake subpoenas, the impeachment proceeding against the Vice President will in fact proceed. It is essentially complete,” Ridon said.
He cited the existence of important documents and records already available to complainants and lawmakers, including Commission on Audit reports on the confidential funds allegedly misused or improperly spent during Duterte’s tenure as Vice President and as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Furthermore, there is a video recording of Duterte’s death threats against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and former speaker Martin Romualdez, he pointed out.
Ridon also cited an affidavit from Ramil Madriaga, allegedly a former Duterte bagman, who exposed the Vice President’s receiving millions of pesos in campaign contributions from drug lords and offshore gaming operators.
“Those being sought for subpoena by the House members are just part of the additional documents,” Ridon said.
He admitted that some of the records being requested, such as bank documents and reports from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, cannot be obtained outside impeachment proceedings.
“It means that the complainants, endorsers, actually won’t be able to get copies of these confidential documents without actual impeachment proceedings commencing. So, the timing is just right in the subpoenas that will be issued,” Ridon said.
He also said lawmakers may seek subpoenas for the income tax returns and business records of Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio so she can shed light on the alleged P50-million discrepancy in her cumulative salary and her declared net worth. — Bella Cariaso
