VP Sara directed to answer impeachment complaints in 10 days

March 5, 2026 | 3:49pm

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte was formally ordered on Thursday, March 5, to respond to the two impeachment complaints filed against her at the House of Representatives.

The Office of the Vice President received the notice from the House justice committee sent to its headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Thursday morning.

A copy of the notice shared by the justice committee shows that it had given the vice president a non-extendible period of 10 calendar days to file a verified answer to the complaints filed by Fr. Joel Saballa and others, and by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera.

If she fails to respond within the deadline, she will be deemed to have waived her right to file an answer and will be considered to have entered a general denial of all allegations.

The notice was issued a day after the justice committee voted 54-1 to declare both complaints sufficient in substance — the second preliminary hurdle in the impeachment process. Rep. Bong Suntay (Quezon City, 4th District) cast the sole dissenting vote.

What happens next

Once Duterte submits her answer, the complainants will have three calendar days to file a reply. She may then file a rejoinder within another three days.

Rep. Jinky Luistro (Batangas, 2nd District), chair of the House justice committee, said the panel will determine whether there is sufficient ground to support the complaints only after all pleadings and evidence have been gathered. Should Duterte opt not to respond at all, the committee will treat it as a denial and move to hearings.

Michael Poa, spokesperson of Duterte's defense team, confirmed receipt of the notice on Thursday. He did not comment on the proceedings.

"We acknowledge receipt of the notice served today. At this point, we see no need to issue any further comment," Poa told reporters.

What are the charges?

The two impeachment complaints accuse Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes. 

The charges center on the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during her time as education secretary, as well as threats Duterte made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

This is the second impeachment effort against the vice president. The House first impeached Duterte on Feb. 5, 2025, then transmitted the articles to the Senate the same day, but the Senate remanded the articles back to the House. The Supreme Court ultimately declared the complaint unconstitutional in July 2025, ruling it violated the one-year bar.

A new element in this round of complaints is the testimony of Ramil Madriaga, Duterte's self-proclaimed former aide, who claimed he was instructed by the vice president to transport large sums of money to several individuals.