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Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for president,, February 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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VP SARA DUTERTE

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177156715409320260218-vp-sara-duterte-presidency-MT6.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for president, February 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Vice President Sara <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/18/sara-duterte-to-run-for-president-1102">Duterte’s announcement of her presidential bid</a> is “not material” in the impeachment proceedings against her, House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Luistro said Wednesday. </p><p>Luistro said House members should maintain independence and perform their constitutional duty in the impeachment proceedings regardless of political affiliations.</p><p>“That should not be material. Sapagkat itong aming trabahong ito is a Constitutional duty… This is not a question of pro-admin ba kami o pro-Duterte kami,” she said. </p><p>“We should maintain our independence and impartiality regardless of the pronouncement of the Vice President. This is a duty regardless of our political affiliation or alignment. At the end of the day, we owe this allegiance neither to the President nor to the Vice President but to the sovereign Filipino people,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/18/sara-duterte-announcement-of-presidential-bid-may-affect-voting-on-impeachment-solon-1629">Sara Duterte announcement of presidential bid may affect voting on impeachment— solon</a></div><div><iframe width="827" height="465" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RyrE8-4rgKU" title="FULL: Sara Duterte to run for president in 2028" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><strong>NO GUARANTEES</strong></div><p>While the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/18/4th-impeachment-complaint-filed-against-vp-sara-duterte-1908">four pending impeachment complaints</a> against Duterte cited grounds similar to those cited in the complaint filed by the House of Representatives before the Senate last Congress, Luistro said there was no assurance that the complaints would automatically be approved by her panel.</p><p>She said the House Committee on Justice would deliberate on whether the content of the complaints satisfy the thresholds for sufficiency in form and substance, as well as the threshold for the determination of probable cause to recommend the Vice President’s impeachment.</p><p>A common ground in the four impeachment complaints against Duterte is her alleged misuse of confidential funds, including as basis the sworn testimony of alleged bagman Ramil Madriaga.</p><p>Duterte has denied mishandling funds. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/19/ex-justices-law-professors-flag-sc-s-handling-of-impeachment-vs-vp-duterte-1206">Ex-justices, law professors flag SC’s handling of impeachment vs VP Duterte</a></div><p>“Malaking factor how they wrote the impeachment complaint, how they prepared, how they wrote, and how they drafted the allegations in the impeachment complaint. Not because most of the grounds ay napag-usapan in the… investigation, it does not necessarily guarantee na pasado na siya sa form and substance. We have to check the parameter kung tama ba ‘yung pagkapag-prepare nila at pagka-draft nila ng impeachment complaint,” Luistro said.</p><p>She reiterated her assurance that her House panel would use the same parameters and rules they used in deliberating the impeachment <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/10/house-throws-out-marcos-impeachment-bid-1657">complaints against the President.</a></p><p>As of Friday, the four complaints against the Vice President have yet to be referred by the House plenary to the House Committee on Justice. For Luistro, the House Speaker has until March 4 to include the complaints, which are now in his office, to the House plenary’s order of business.</p><div><strong>‘WHAT IS THEIR TRACK RECORD?’</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, Fr. Flavie Villanueva, a Catholic priest who helped relatives of those killed in the previous Duterte administration’s drug war, criticized the Vice President’s election plans.  </p><p>“Tuldukan na dapat ang pamumuno ng mga Duterte. They are people, family, who – I would like to ask, what is their current contribution to the country? Who is their father? He is now at the Hague, facing crimes against humanity,” Villanueva said at the inurnment of the victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war at the “Dambana ng Paghilom” in Caloocan. </p><p>“What is their track record? Show proof that they are fit for office,&quot; he added. </p><p>He urged the younger Duterte to face the fund misuse allegations cited in the impeachment complaints against her. </p><p>“Kung hindi, she has no right to declare. While she has the right to aspire, but for the betterment of the Filipino people, we deserve someone better,” he said.</p><p>Under the Philippine constitution, an impeachment triggers a Senate trial. A guilty verdict would see Duterte barred from politics and sidelined from a potential 2028 presidential run.</p><p>Duterte, who is embroiled in a bitter feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was impeached last year only to see the country&#x27;s Supreme Court throw the case out over procedural issues. — With a report from Agence France-Presse</p><div><iframe width="726" height="408" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SLbu59Fys3Q" title="Political strategist: Sara Duterte’s bid is more of a message than an announcement  | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><iframe width="712" height="401" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OeKd7BDuwnk" title="Tinio says Sara Duterte’s bid is a warning to Congress amid impeach raps | ANC" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte’s announcement of her presidential bid is “not material” in the impeachment proceedings against her, House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Luistro said Wednesday.</p>

Vice President Sara Duterte’s announcement of her presidential bid is “not material” in the impeachment proceedings against her, House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Luistro said Wednesday.

Sara Duterte’s presidential bid ‘not material’ in impeachment proceedings, says House justice panel chair

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Sara Duterte’s presidential bid ‘not material’ in impeachment proceedings, says House justice panel chair

Vivienne Gulla and Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 20, 2026 02:09 PM PHT

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