Vice President Sara Duterte has formally asked the Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, to dismiss the articles of impeachment filed against her, arguing that they are fundamentally flawed in both procedure and substance.

In her official response submitted on June 1, 2026, Duterte’s legal team claimed that the impeachment complaint suffers from “fatal constitutional, procedural, and substantive defects” and fails to meet the constitutional threshold required for conviction of an impeachable officer.These charges include culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and high crimes.

Duterte’s camp argued that the House of Representatives, which transmitted the impeachment articles, allegedly violated due process during its proceedings.

They claimed that the House conducted what amounted to a “mini-trial” during committee deliberations and introduced new evidence not originally included in the complaints, which they say deprived the Vice President of the opportunity to properly respond.

Duterte also maintained that she chose not to attend the House hearings, insisting she would only address the allegations before the Senate impeachment court.

The Vice President further challenged the scope of the accusations, saying that some allegations relate to her time as Davao City mayor and vice mayor, when she was not an impeachable official.

She denied all accusations of misusing confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, as well as claims regarding unexplained wealth and discrepancies in her financial disclosures.

Her camp also dismissed allegations involving political destabilization and threats against high-ranking officials, arguing these were misrepresented or unsupported by admissible evidence.

The impeachment case includes serious allegations such as misuse of confidential funds, discrepancies in her declared net worth, and claims of misconduct involving government officials.The House of Representatives had impeached Duterte earlier in May 2026, and the Senate convened as an impeachment court shortly after.The formal trial is scheduled to begin on July 6, 2026, marking a significant political development in the country’s ongoing institutional tensions.