MANILA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The defense team of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday rejected the claim by the Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives that it had found probable cause to impeach her after three clarificatory hearings on two complaints under the panel's jurisdiction.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte speaks during a press briefing in Mandaluyong City, the Philippines, Feb. 7, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua)

A total of 53 lawmakers voted in favor of the motions, accusing Sara of corruption, assassination plots, inciting sedition and patterns of abuse, among others.

Sara did not attend the hearing on Wednesday. Her defense team said the proceedings before the Committee on Justice departed from the constitutional design, as the process had not confined itself to the verified complaints and their attachments.

The impeachment complaint now moves to the House plenary, which is set to vote on the articles in May, and a one-third vote would send Sara to trial in the Senate.

Sara is the daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. She announced her candidacy for the 2028 Philippine presidential election in February. If impeached and found guilty, Sara would be removed from office and banned from elected office for life.

This is the second time the Philippine House of Representatives has attempted to impeach Sara. During the first impeachment attempt, the Philippine Supreme Court unanimously ruled the Articles of Impeachment against Sara unconstitutional in July 2025, preventing the Senate from assuming jurisdiction. The court said that Sara was not absolved of the allegations and that a new complaint may only be filed after Feb. 6, 2026.