Vice President Sara Duterte Files 'Buzzer Beater' Reply to Impeachment Complaints
Vice President Sara Duterte has submitted her formal reply to the two impeachment complaints against her, beating the deadline set by the House of Representatives’ committee on justice.
Vice President Sara Duterte filed her formal reply to the Senate impeachment trial summons on June 23, 2025, just hours before the 10-day deadline expired. In her response delivered by messenger to House prosecutors, Duterte demanded the case be dismissed, calling the impeachment complaint an 'abuse of the impeachment process' and arguing it lacks 'statements of ultimate facts.' She described the complaint as merely a 'scrap of paper' after stripping away conclusions and denied all allegations of graft, corruption, and an alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as 'false.'
The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, had issued the summons on June 10, 2025, after initially remanding the case to the House of Representatives to certify compliance with the 1987 Constitution's one-year bar on multiple impeachments (Article XI, Section 3(5)). The House had impeached Duterte in early February 2025 and quickly complied by certifying constitutionality within 24 hours. Duterte claimed in her reply that the Senate's earlier remand to the House relieved her of answering the allegations.
House prosecutors immediately rejected Duterte's reply as having 'no factual basis,' insisting the complaint is valid and ready for trial. They mocked her 'scrap of paper' claim, noting she answered it anyway, and affirmed the Senate's duty to try the case. The prosecutors have five days to respond to Duterte's filing. The impeachment trial is not expected to begin before the new Senate convenes on July 28, 2025.
Duterte, who was in Australia meeting supporters at the time of filing, faces removal from office and permanent disqualification from politics if convicted by the Senate. Earlier developments in the case included House Justice Committee deadlines in March 2026 for initial replies to impeachment complaints, reflecting the ongoing nature of the proceedings. The case represents a significant political development in the Philippines, with the Vice President facing serious allegations that could end her political career if proven.
Join the discussion
What do you think? Drop your thoughts below.