Election Shakeup: Vote on Vice President Sara Duterte’s Impeachment Looms
Impeachment Hearing Looms for Vice President Sara Duterte
The Philippine House of Representatives is set to decide on Monday whether to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte—a move that could effectively derail her 2028 presidential campaign.
The decision follows the House Justice Committee’s finding last month that there were sufficient grounds for impeachment after activists alleged:
- Misuse of public funds
- Accumulation of hidden wealth
- Threats to the safety of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and former House Speaker
Because President Marcos is constitutionally limited to a single term, many observers see Duterte as the next likely successor. She has publicly apologized for her role in Marcos’s 2022 landslide victory, though she maintains that she did nothing wrong. Her legal team dismisses the complaint as a “defective” and “fishing expedition.”
The vote is scheduled for Monday, confirmed by House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil and Justice Committee member Leila de Lima. A quorum of at least one‑third of the lower house is required to move forward; if achieved, the Senate would hold a trial where senators serve as jurors. A conviction would strip Duterte of her office and bar her from future political participation.
This impeachment effort compounds a series of challenges for the Duterte family. Vice President Duterte faces mounting pressure from her political feud with Marcos, while her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is confronting an International Criminal Court trial over his controversial drug war. The House had previously voted to impeach Sara, but the Supreme Court halted the proceeding due to a procedural error.
In February, Marcos survived his own impeachment attempt after Congress dismissed it. Supporters of the current motion gathered outside Congress, chanting “Impeach Sara Now.” Left‑wing Congressman Perci Cendana described the upcoming vote as historic for Philippine democracy.
