House Panel Tells Sara Duterte: 'Sagutin Mo Kami' — Impeachment Charges Move Forward

The political walls are closing in on Vice President Sara Duterte. The House of Representatives' justice committee voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to advance impeachment proceedings against her, ordering the VP to formally respond to a slew of serious charges.

The complaints against Duterte are no joke — they include allegations of unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and perhaps most dramatically, publicly threatening to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed, along with his wife and the then-House Speaker.

This is actually the second time Duterte has faced impeachment. She survived a similar bid last year after the Supreme Court struck it down for violating constitutional safeguards. But this time around, three fresh complaints were filed right after the one-year ban on filing impeachment cases against the same official expired.

If the impeachment trial pushes through in the Senate and she's convicted, Duterte would not only be removed from office — she'd be permanently banned from holding any government position. That's a massive blow for someone widely seen as a frontrunner for the 2028 presidential race, who has already declared her intention to run for the top post.

Duterte's defense team said they'll address the matter "through the proper constitutional processes" rather than in the media. Meanwhile, Representative Leila de Lima called it "a very good development that the process of accountability is now moving." The bitter falling-out between the Marcos and Duterte political dynasties — once allies who swept to power together in 2022 — continues to escalate.

Source: Reuters