Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday confirmed she will not attend the House impeachment hearing scheduled for March 25, as the House of Representatives of the Committee on Justice begins deliberations on complaints filed against her.

Earlier, Duterte's legal counsel had already informed the committee of her non-attendance.

In a statement before her impeachment hearing starts, the Vice President criticized the proceedings, accusing the House of conducting another “fishing expedition” and prioritizing political interests over the needs of the public.

Duterte argued that the country is facing more urgent concerns, including the possible closure of businesses, job losses, and the financial strain on Filipino families caused by rising prices of goods.

“Ang suliranin ng bayan ngayon ay ang nanganganib na pagsasara ng mga negosyo, ang pagkawala ng trabaho, at ang hirap ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino dulot ng patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga produkto," she said.

“Ang imbitasyon na dumalo sa pagdinig ng Committee on Justice ay tila ginagamit upang makabuo ng isang media narrative na magkakaroon ng “mini-trial,” batay sa umano'y hindi ko pagsagot at hindi pagdalo,” she said.

She added that the hearings are being used to pursue what she described as a third “fishing expedition” against her.

“Inuuna ang politika kaysa sa kapakanan ng milyon-milyong Pilipino na hirap na hirap dahil sa mahal na bilihin,” Duterte emphasized.

The vice president also maintained that there is “no rule“ requiring a respondent to personally attend impeachment hearings before the committee.

Duterte said she has already submitted her Answer ad Cautelam, asserting that the committee has no basis to proceed further and should dismiss the complaints due to what she described as a lack of evidence.

Instead of attending the hearing, Duterte said she would focus her time on assisting Filipinos, particularly by reaching out to communities and helping ease the burden of rising living costs among vulnerable families.

"Mas pipiliin kong ilaan ang aking oras sa pagtulong sa mga Pilipino—lalo na sa pagbibigay ng paalala, diretso sa mga komunidad, upang maibsan ang hirap sa gastusin ng mga pamilyang higit na nangangailangan," she emphasized.

As of this writing, the House Committee on Justice has commenced formal hearings on the impeachment complaints against the Vice President, where evidences and witnesseses are expected to be presented and lawmakers will begin a detailed examination of the allegations.