14/04/2026
Vice President Sara Duterte will not attend the latest impeachment hearing before the House Committee on Justice, according to her lawyer Michael Poa. Reports said the defense had informed the committee in advance that she would be absent from the proceedings. 
The development keeps public attention on the impeachment process, which continues even without her personal appearance at this stage. The case remains part of an ongoing constitutional proceeding, and the hearing is focused on examining documents, witnesses, and legal arguments connected to the complaint. 
Her absence is being closely watched because impeachment hearings are not only legal events but also major political moments that shape public trust, institutional credibility, and the national conversation. For many Filipinos, the bigger issue is not just who appears in the room, but how the process is handled and whether it remains fair, orderly, and transparent. 
In the end, democracy is tested not only by conflict, but by how institutions respond to it. Whether one supports or opposes any political figure, the deeper lesson is the same: truth must be examined carefully, due process must be respected, and public service must always answer to accountability. When the process is stronger than the personalities involved, the country moves closer to real democratic maturity.