Vice President Sara Duterte will not appear before the House Committee on Justice on Wednesday when it holds its first hearing on the impeachment complaints filed against her, her legal team confirmed a day before the scheduled proceeding.
Spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa broke the news to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday via Viber, citing constitutional grounds as the reason for the absence.
“We confirm that counsel for the Vice President submitted a letter today to the Committee on Justice stating that the Vice President will not be attending the hearing tomorrow, in light of the constitutional objections raised therein,” Poa said.
The decision carries potential consequences. Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, who chairs the House justice panel, had already cautioned that a no-show would leave the allegations against Duterte unchallenged on the record — a situation she said could push committee members to rule against the vice president.
“Might vote in favor of the existence of probable cause,” Luistro warned, describing what could happen if no defense arguments are placed before the panel.
Three more hearings remain on the committee’s calendar — April 14, 22, and 29 — which Luistro confirmed Duterte could still attend. Whether the vice president’s legal team intends to engage the process at any of those sessions has not been stated.
