2 impeach raps vs VP Sara Duterte remain; House panel says ‘form’ OK
Two of the four initial impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte have successfully passed their first hurdle, with the House of Representatives' Committee on Justice unanimously declaring them sufficient in form. This development marks a significant step forward in the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President, as the committee "set aside" the first complaint filed by the Makabayan bloc.
On March 2, 2026, the House of Representatives' Committee on Justice unanimously declared two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte sufficient in form. These are the third complaint filed by clergy members and lawyers, and the fourth complaint filed by attorney Nathaniel Cabrera. The first complaint from the Makabayan bloc was set aside due to violations of the one-year bar rule under the Philippine Constitution, as previously ruled by the Supreme Court in July 2025 which invalidated prior 2024-2025 complaints for procedural failures. The second complaint was formally withdrawn by its complainants and endorsers, including Representatives Risa Hontiveros-de Lima and Percival Cendaña, during the hearing, with oaths confirming their support for the third complaint to streamline proceedings.
The two surviving complaints allege betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft, corruption, and misuse of P612 million in confidential funds. The fourth complaint additionally accuses Duterte of conspiring in assassination plots against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Romualdez based on her November 23, 2024, online threats. The House Committee on Justice, chaired by Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro, will resume hearings on March 3, 2026, to assess the sufficiency in substance of the remaining complaints.
This development follows fresh complaints filed by progressive groups on February 2, 2026, after the Supreme Court clarified that the one-year bar ended on January 15, 2026, allowing new filings despite Duterte's camp preparing defenses. The Supreme Court's July 2025 ruling declared the first attempt to impeach Duterte as void from the beginning for violating the one-year bar rule, which prohibits filing more than one impeachment complaint against the same official within a one-year period.
Protests by groups like Bayan urged House support for the impeachment process amid Duterte's announced 2028 presidential bid. The committee's unanimous decision marks a significant procedural step forward, though the complaints still face substantive review. The streamlined approach with two remaining complaints aims to avoid the procedural issues that plagued earlier attempts while addressing serious allegations against the Vice President.
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