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Philippine VP Sara Duterte snubs impeachment hearing, questions again committee's jurisdiction
Activist group Bayan said Duterte’s refusal to attend the impeachment hearing shows her "utter disdain for the people’s clamour for truth, accountability, and justice"
- PUBLISHED: Wed 25 Mar 2026, 10:55 AM
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte did not attend today's (March 25) Committee on Justice (CoJ) hearing on finding probable cause on impeachment complaints against her at the House of Representatives (HoR).
Duterte instead sent another ad cautelam letter to the CoJ on Tuesday, questioning the committee’s jurisdiction to conduct today’s hearing and saying the hearing is a mere "fishing expedition."
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Duterte stated she would rather spend her time "helping Filipinos" and believes the committee should dismiss the complaints. It is only the Senate that should conduct an impeachment trial, the vice president’s letter reads.
An ad cautelam (Latin, meaning “with caution”) is a procedural manoeuvre that, while responding, refuses to acknowledge the recipient’s jurisdiction. It is referred to in legal circles as a “just in case” measure or "to be on the safe side".
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Ongoing proceedings
The CoJ, however, decided to proceed with the “mini-trial” to determine whether the two approved impeachment complaints have “probable cause.”
In the ongoing hearing, committee members are saying Duterte’s new ad cautelam answer is erroneous in its assumption that the HoR is without jurisdiction.
The legislators said it should continue in its investigations of evidence and documents pertaining to Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth as well as bank and corporate records.
The said documents pertain to impeachment allegations that the vice president enriched herself through, among others, misuse of public funds.
The CoJ also decided to “not dignify” Duterte’s ad cautelam answer with a reply.
Committee chairperson Gerville Luistro also said Duterte’s continuing snub of the proceedings weakens her chance to convince lawmakers that the complaints have no probable cause.
The impeachment complaints have been previously determined sufficient in form, substance, and sufficient in grounds.
'Disdain for truth'
Philippine activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said Duterte’s refusal to attend the impeachment hearing shows her "utter disdain for the people’s clamour for truth, accountability, and justice."
“Moreover, it indicates her desperate attempt to delay and disrupt the impeachment process. The office of the Vice President doesn’t exempt Sara Duterte from being held to account for committing grave crimes against the Filipino people she vowed to serve,” Bayan said.
The group said, "it is foul for Duterte to use the Middle East crisis as an excuse to snub the constitutional proceedings."
"Public officials invoking any crisis to evade accountability for grievous wrongdoing smacks of hypocrisy and opportunism. (Duterte) should not be allowed to belittle the public demand to combat corruption and impunity," Bayan underscored.
