Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference to read her statement and reaction to her impeachment case, at the Office of the Vice President on February 7, 2025.
Lawmakers in the Philippines on Monday overwhelmingly voted in support of the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, setting the stage for a Senate trial that could jeopardise her potential presidential bid in 2028.
A House justice committee had last month found probable cause for impeachment following a petition filed by activists accusing Duterte of misusing public funds, accumulating unexplained wealth and allegedly threatening the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady and a former House speaker.
The petition secured the backing of 255 out of 318 lawmakers, surpassing the constitutional one-third threshold required to advance the impeachment process.
With President Marcos constitutionally barred from seeking another term, Duterte has widely been regarded as a leading contender to succeed him in the 2028 presidential election. However, political observers say the impeachment proceedings could significantly weaken her chances.
Duterte has denied all allegations against her, while her legal team described the impeachment effort as defective and characterised it as a “fishing expedition.”
Under Philippine law, the Senate is expected to convene an impeachment trial with senators serving as jurors. If convicted, Duterte could be removed from office and barred from holding public office in the future.
The impeachment marks the latest political setback for the influential Duterte family amid a worsening feud between Sara Duterte and President Marcos.
Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is also facing mounting legal pressure as he awaits proceedings at the International Criminal Court over his controversial anti-drug campaign that led to thousands of deaths during his presidency between 2016 and 2022.
Meanwhile, political drama also unfolded in the Senate on Monday after lawmakers approved a motion to remove the chamber’s president and replace him with Alan Peter Cayetano, a longtime ally of the Duterte family.
The leadership change could prove significant if the impeachment trial proceeds, as Cayetano, who once served as the running mate of Rodrigo Duterte, would preside over the Senate proceedings.
Melissa Enoch
