House body summons Ombudsman as VP’s impeachment probe deepens

THE HOUSE of Representatives Justice Committee has summoned the Ombudsman to testify and turn over Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte‑Carpio’s wealth declarations, a move that deepens scrutiny of her finances as an impeachment inquiry advances.

In a March 31 subpoena, the body ordered Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla to appear at an April 14 hearing and submit certified copies of Ms. Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) covering 2022 to 2025, as well as earlier periods from 2007 to 2013 and 2016 to 2022.

The records are needed “for the committee to be apprised of the assets, liabilities and net worth” declared by the Vice-President from the time she started public service until the present, according to the subpoena.

The request signals a shift toward closer examination of Ms. Duterte’s financial disclosures as lawmakers assess whether probable cause exists to move forward with impeachment, a step that could accelerate the case toward a public trial and intensify political pressure on the country’s second‑highest official.

“As long as it is our duty, we will comply,” Mr. Remulla said at a livestreamed news briefing in Filipino.

Political analysts earlier said the impeachment proceedings risk undercutting Ms. Duterte’s position as a leading contender for the 2028 presidential election, with corruption allegations threatening to erode the political capital she has built since sweeping into office in 2022.

The move to unseat Ms. Duterte intensifies a high-stakes political standoff between her and President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., once allies who ran together on a unity ticket but have since fallen out and emerged as rivals.

The impeachment proceedings are now in the hearing stage before the Justice committee, which is tasked with determining probable cause on two active complaints after finding them sufficient in form and substance.

The panel has invited Ms. Duterte to attend the hearings and has issued subpoenas to secure testimony, financial records and related evidence from government agencies.

Mr. Remulla has said his office is prepared to provide Congress with all available SALNs of the Vice-President, citing the legality of the request.

Lawmakers said reviewing the SALNs is central to assessing claims of unexplained wealth and potential violations of public trust cited in the complaints, allegations Ms. Duterte has denied.

The House is proceeding under a more formal committee process following a 2025 Supreme Court ruling that voided expedited impeachment procedures.

A pro‑Duterte legal group has filed another petition seeking to halt the inquiry, its second attempt after the high court blocked earlier proceedings for violating the Vice-President’s right to due process.

At least 106 lawmakers must vote in favor for the articles of impeachment to be sent to the Senate, which would then sit as an impeachment court. A Senate conviction would remove Ms. Duterte from office and permanently bar her from holding any public post.

The complaints accuse Ms. Duterte of misusing hundreds of millions of pesos in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice-President and the Department of Education, which she headed.

Other allegations include amassing wealth disproportionate to her declared income, seeking to destabilize the government and plotting to assassinate Mr. Marcos, his wife and a former House speaker. Ms. Duterte has denied all accusations.

Taken together, the petitions charge her with graft, bribery, constitutional violations and betrayal of public trust — all impeachable offenses under the 1987 Constitution.

The rift between Mr. Marcos and Ms. Duterte has widened in recent months following policy disagreements and political tensions between their camps.

The political dispute has also unfolded against the backdrop of the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, by the International Criminal Court over charges of crimes against humanity related to his anti-drug campaign. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking