House Panel Green-Lights Sara Duterte Impeachment — 'Mini Trial' Starts March 25

It's officially happening. The House justice committee on Wednesday declared that the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte allege sufficient grounds, setting the stage for a public hearing dubbed a "mini trial" starting next week on March 25.

The move comes after Duterte filed her verified answer on Monday, March 16 — a response that complainants and lawmakers described as a "non-answer" because it refused to tackle the actual material allegations. Instead, Sara questioned the integrity of the House proceedings and cried foul over double standards, pointing out how impeachment complaints against her father's rival, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., were swiftly dismissed.

Committee vice chair Joel Chua didn't mince words: "Nothing in the said answer contraverts the allegations raised in the Saballa complaint. All allegations in the complaint stand as they were never rebutted." The two active petitions cite a laundry list of offenses — culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

Among the specific charges are alleged misuse of confidential funds, fabricated submissions to the Commission on Audit, bribery of education officials, unexplained wealth, and the bombshell allegation that she made threats against the life of President Marcos and his family. The complainants even waived their right to file a reply just to speed up the process.

The public hearings will unfold across several dates — March 25, April 14, 22, and 29 — where lawmakers will review documents, examine witnesses, and evaluate evidence. Committee chairperson Jinky Luistro is overseeing the schedule. With midterm elections looming and Sara already declaring a 2028 presidential bid, the impeachment saga is shaping up to be one of the most dramatic political showdowns in recent Philippine history.

Source: Rappler