1ST DISTRICT Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte said on Tuesday, Jan. 6, that the family is prepared for a renewed wave of attacks against Vice President Sara Duterte as the Feb. 6 deadline looms—the date when the “one-year bar rule” for impeachment expires.
Under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, impeachment proceedings cannot be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.
In 2025, the Supreme Court nullified previous impeachment attempts against VP Sara Duterte, ruling that the House of Representatives had violated this rule and the respondent’s right to due process.
The Court explicitly set Feb. 6, 2026, as the earliest date any new complaint could legally be filed.
Speaking from The Hague, where he is currently visiting his father, the congressman dismissed the potential complaints as “recycled” political maneuvers.
“If they have an attack planned for us, we are ready. Just ready. If they have a tank for war, we have a wall. That’s just how it is,” the lawmaker said. “The world will turn back around in a few days.”
He maintained that the Commission on Audit has already cleared the vice president of allegations related to the use of confidential and intelligence funds—a key focal point of previous impeachment efforts.
Rep. Duterte is expected to return to the country shortly to resume his legislative duties while his father remains in the Netherlands under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
