VP Sara Duterte Skips Impeachment Hearing as Justice Chair Warns Against No-Show Defense Strategy
On Tuesday morning in Manila, vice president Sarra Dutee decided to skip her first impeachment hearing before the House justice committee. Lawyer Michael Poa confirmed that she will not appear at this mini-trial for an alleged bribery complaint against him and his family members who were involved with a foreign government official's son-in-law during their time as mayor of Cebu City in 2019-2023 when they served together on the local council.
Key Points
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1Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed via legal counsel Atty. Michael Poa that she will not attend the House Justice Committee's impeachment hearing scheduled for March 25.
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2House Judiciary Chair Rep. Gerville Luistro warned that skipping the hearings risks damaging VP Duterte's defense and her ability to convince lawmakers of no probable cause.
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3The committee has explicitly stated it can proceed with its evaluation regardless of whether Vice President Duterte appears in person.
Developments
The chair of the House justice committee warned Vice President Sara Duterte that skipping upcoming impeachment hearings would damage her legal defenses regarding allegations against both herself and former president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The hearing proper is scheduled to begin on Wednesday for evidence evaluation following a prior ruling deeming these complaints valid grounds for investigation.
The camp for Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed she will not attend a mini-trial by the House Justice Committee regarding her impeachment complaints. Two separate accusations remain pending after procedural issues led to one complaint being set aside while complainants withdrew their second rap in favor of proceeding with three remaining charges involving misappropriation, corruption related to DepEd officials, and alleged attempts on presidential lives.
Vice President Sara Duterte will not attend her scheduled March 25 House Committee on Justice impeachment hearing due to constitutional objections raised by counsel in a letter submitted that day, according to spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa's confirmation via Viber message issued Tuesday morning prior to the event.