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.
The House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice has ruled that the grounds in two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte are sufficient, paving the way for formal hearings.
Two of the four complaints remain under the committee’s jurisdiction after the first complaint was dismissed for allegedly violating the one-year bar rule and the second was withdrawn by petitioners.
During Wednesday’s session, Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor moved to declare the third complaint sufficient in ground, while Deputy Speaker Janette Garin filed a similar motion for the fourth complaint. Both motions were seconded and no objections were raised. Committee chairperson and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro then declared the grounds sufficient.
Luistro said the panel will proceed directly to discussing the sufficiency of the grounds since petitioners waived their right to reply.
“Today’s agenda is simple, yet heavy with consequence. We reiterate that we are not here to decide guilt or innocence. This is not a trial. We are here for one question, one question only: is there sufficient basis to continue the process of impeachment?” Luistro said in her opening speech.
“That is the only question before us today. Are there sufficient grounds to proceed? Sufficient grounds — that is the question. Wala nang iba, let us be clear, today is not about judgment, today is about justification,” she added.
Under the House Rules of the 19th Congress, adopted by the 20th Congress, impeachment proceedings follow five steps: filing and referral of complaints, determination of sufficiency in form and substance, determination of sufficiency in grounds, hearing of evidence and witnesses, and preparation of the report and recommendation.
The complaints raise allegations similar to a failed impeachment attempt in February 2025, including misuse of confidential funds, threats against officials, bribery, and other possible violations of the 1987 Constitution. With the grounds now deemed sufficient, the proceedings move to the stage of hearing evidence.
