Duterte bloc dared: Fight impeachment at House plenary

[Updated May 1, 2026, 10:04 p.m.]

MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers supportive of Vice President Sara Duterte may have missed their chance to dispute the impeachment complaints against her at the House of Representatives’ committee on justice, but they will have another opportunity when the committee report reaches the plenary for consideration.

In an interview on Friday, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the vice president’s elder brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, should show up at the plenary when the impeachment was being discussed, instead of making baseless accusations.

Ridon was asked about statements from Rep. Duterte, who claimed in a Facebook post that the staffers of a certain “Charise” had called lawmakers’ chiefs of staff to order House members to support the impeachment bid, or else allocations to their districts under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) would be removed.

READ: Paolo Duterte told: How can you remove GAA when it’s a law?

“What Congressman Pulong should do is show up at the hearings, speak before the plenary, and defend his sister on the three points raised at the committee,” Ridon said in Filipino.

“Explain why there was a P700 million transaction that went into the vice president’s account in 2009 when her SALN showed a P80 million net worth. Anyway, they were together in Davao City during that time. He should explain why the accounts of the Duterte-Carpio couple had P6.7 billion in total transactions,” he added.

According to Ridon, Rep. Duterte should do this if he believes there is a need to stand up for what he believes is right.

He also maintained that allegations of threats and supposed bribery in the impeachment are misplaced, since there is no need for them given the gravity of the evidence against the vice president.

“He is correct. It is right to stand up for what is right, to stand up for the truth,” Ridon said in Filipino. “I think no aid is needed here, no coercion is needed, because their stand is based on conviction for the truth and principle. They will support the impeachment complaint against the vice president at the level of the plenary.”

In a separate interview, Manila Rep. Joel Chua said several lawmakers have a lot to say about the way the justice committee deliberated the impeachment complaints, but they did not even participate in the hearings.

Chua was also referring to Rep. Duterte, who did not attend the committee discussions.

“You know, to lawmakers who are saying a lot outside the Committee on Justice… our question to them is why they did not show up during the height of the committee hearings, when that is the true venue where they could defend the respondent or the vice president,” he said in Filipino.

“There are three Dutertes sitting as House members. Why haven’t we seen even their shadows?” he added, referring to Davao City 1st District Rep. Duterte, the vice president’s nephew Davao City 2nd District Rep. Omar Vincent Duterte, and their cousin PPP party-list Rep. Harold James Duterte.

Chua also said it might be too late for the Dutertes to join the justice panel’s discussion since the next hearing on Monday would only be for the approval of the committee report, which contains the articles of impeachment against the vice president.

“They should have been there from day one, so they would have been given the chance to participate and present their defense,” Chua said when asked if this was a challenge for the Dutertes to show up.

“But it is unfortunate that the committee hearings are over. We are now only at the approval of the committee report, and the respondent vice president was given every opportunity until the end,” he added.

None of the Dutertes in the House is a member of the justice committee, but over the course of the panel’s hearings, several lawmakers perceived to be close to the Dutertes participated, although only through manifestations.

Two of the more visible pro-Duterte lawmakers who attended the hearings are Sagip party-list Rep. Paolo Henry Marcoleta and BH party-list Rep. Robert Nazal.

At least two committee members have raised points beneficial to the vice president: Quezon City Rep. Bong Suntay and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

According to Deputy Speaker Janette Garin, the inability of non-members of the committee on justice to ask questions or to make a vote disappears when the impeachment matter is brought to the plenary.

Garin also said that it would be good to hear the Dutertes speak up before the plenary so that members could weigh their options.

“When we go to the plenary, all members of Congress can participate, they can ask questions, they can vote, and they can refrain from voting,” she said.

“It’s good because we need to hear both sides. It’s very good to hear the situation of the opposing sides. It’s hard if they do not answer because we will only listen to one side, especially when there are documents and proof presented, that will really convince most of the listening and reading members to vote in the affirmative,” she added.

Last Wednesday, after three clarificatory hearings on the evidence presented against Vice President Duterte, the justice panel unanimously voted in favor of motions to declare probable cause.

The secretariat said that all 53 members present voted in the affirmative.

READ: House justice panel finds probable cause to impeach Sara Duterte

The committee report, which contains the articles of impeachment, will be sent to the plenary after the panel approves it.

According to the justice committee chair, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, the plenary session on May 11 could be the day for House members to determine whether they would approve or reject the committee report.

READ: Luistro: Justice panel may approve Sara Duterte impeach report by May 4

“If it is favorable to the determination of probable cause, it must contain as well the resolution and the articles of impeachment. So upon approval of all these documents, we will be transmitting it to the plenary likewise on May 4,” she said last Tuesday.

“And then upon receipt of the plenary, we expect that they will be transmitting copies of these documents to the complainant, respondent vice president, and all the House members. And upon transmitting of the same, then it is up to them when to consider the plenary vote. May 11 can be considered as a date for a possible plenary vote,” she added. /mcm /mr /atm