MANILA – The House prosecution panel will continue pursuing Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial regardless of unverified reports of a supposed political deal involving her resignation and a possible bid for president in 2028.

House prosecution panel adviser and spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers said any political negotiations are outside the panel’s mandate, stressing that prosecutors are focused on presenting evidence and pursuing accountability through the impeachment process.

“As far as the prosecution panel is concerned, nandito tayo sa proseso ng pagpapalabas ng katotohanan and accountability,” Barbers said in a press briefing.

He said reports of possible “trade-offs” have no bearing on the prosecution’s work.

“Our task is to continue the trial, present the evidence and ensure that the people understand what these pieces of evidence are,” Barbers said.

Barbers was responding to unverified reports that Duterte had privately reached out to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and was supposedly willing to resign in exchange for being allowed to run for president in the 2028 elections.

Duterte announced in February that she intended to seek the presidency in 2028. A conviction in the impeachment trial could result in her removal from office and disqualification from holding public office.

Barbers said the House prosecution is acting pursuant to the Constitution’s accountability mechanism for high-ranking government officials.

“We are obeying the order of our Constitution to have an accountability mechanism for certain higher officials of government, to hold them accountable if they have committed violations of the law,” he said.

House prosecutor and San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria “Bel” Zamora likewise cautioned against treating social media reports about an alleged Duterte-Marcos deal as established fact.

“I saw that in several Facebook posts, but of course we have no confirmation about that and with so many trolls now we don’t know what is true,” Zamora said.

Palace: No confirmation of reported Duterte-Marcos meeting

Meanwhile, Malacañang said it could not confirm reports that Duterte was seeking a private meeting with Marcos amid speculation of possible political negotiations.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said there was currently no information confirming such a request.

“Sa ngayon ay wala tayong makukumpirma,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.

Asked whether Marcos would agree to a meeting if Duterte requested one, Castro pointed to the President’s previous statement that he remains open to talking with people who disagree with him.

She clarified, however, that Marcos’ openness to dialogue should not be interpreted as a specific offer to meet with Duterte.

“Sa lahat ng kababayan natin, sa lahat ng tao ay open ang Pangulo,” Castro said.

The House prosecution, meanwhile, said it would remain focused on the impeachment trial and leave any purported political discussions outside its mandate.