Vice Pres. Sara Duterte held a press conference at OVP Central Office, Mandaluyong City on Feb. 18, 2026. In the same briefing, she announced her presidential bid for 2028. Screen grabbed from Inday Sara Duterte livestream.
House justice committee chairperson and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte appeared to be preparing for a Senate trial, based on its recent statements on the impeachment proceedings.
Luistro said the defense team’s position that it would address the allegations during trial indicated an expectation that the case would move beyond the House, where lawmakers are set to determine probable cause.
She said the defense’s call for opportunities to scrutinize evidence and conduct cross-examination suggested recognition that a full trial would be necessary after the committee’s findings.
Luistro added that the threshold for probable cause in impeachment proceedings remained low, requiring only enough basis to proceed and not a determination of guilt.
She also questioned the need for the Duterte camp to pursue legal remedies before the Supreme Court, noting that the House panel was only tasked with deciding whether sufficient grounds existed to elevate the case.
The lawmaker cited findings from the Commission on Audit, including a notice of disallowance amounting to Php 73 million in 2022, as part of the basis being examined by the committee.
Additional disallowances totaling Php 375 million for 2023 were also raised, which, if finalized, could require the return of Php 448 million by officials involved.
Luistro said impeachment proceedings and efforts to recover public funds were separate processes, while also pointing to financial records flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council that were being reviewed as part of the inquiry.