MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte said the two impeachment complaints against her must be dismissed.
Duterte filed her answer to the complaints on Monday, saying she was doing so “without waiving any jurisdictional and/or other objections she has to these proceedings and her right to exhaust legal remedies.”
The House Committee on Justice received the answer. In a notice dated March 4, 2026, the panel directed Duterte to submit her response within 10 calendar days from receipt of the notice.
In her filing, Duterte said “these Impeachment Complaints must be dismissed.”
The answer said the complaints “recycle the same accusations against the Vice President as those contained in the nullified Fourth Impeachment Complaint filed by the 19th House of Representatives, including conjectures, speculations, and conclusions of fact and law which do not constitute ultimate facts.”
The 19th House of Representatives refers to the previous Congress.
“Absent any statement of ultimate facts in any of these Impeachment Complaints, there is nothing for respondent to answer,” the filing read.
“Respondent thus only admits averments therein insofar as they allege her election, assumption to the Office of the Vice President, appointment as Secretary of Education, and her prior offices as Mayor and Vice Mayor of Davao City,” it added.
“The rest of the allegations, including the annexes and so-called evidence attached to the Impeachment Complaints, are specifically denied for being false, misleading, impertinent, and mere conclusions of fact and law,” the answer read.
