MANILA, Philippines — On Wednesday, the Philippine House of Representatives made a significant move by impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte. This action came after a considerable number of lawmakers, many of whom are allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., endorsed a petition for her removal, reflecting an ongoing and intense political rivalry.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco announced during a meeting that over 215 members of Congress had signed the impeachment petition, surpassing the required majority for such a measure to proceed. Consequently, the impeachment complaint is set to be forwarded to the Senate, which will take on the role of an impeachment tribunal to deliberate on the fate of Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Vice President’s silence on the impeachment news contrasts sharply with her previous public disputes with the president and his supporters, who currently dominate the House. Known as a potential candidate for the presidency after Marcos’s term ends in 2028, she has previously faced multiple impeachment allegations linked to various issues.
The grievances raised against her include a controversial death threat aimed at the president and his allies, irregularities involving the use of intelligence funds allocated to her office, and a lack of response to Chinese assertiveness in the contested South China Sea. However, only the most recent complaint—which alleges constitutional violations, corruption, and betrayal of public trust—will proceed to the Senate.
The timeline for the impeachment process appears to be pressing, as it occurs just before the congressional session concludes and campaigning for the May midterm elections begins. The senators may convene a special session to ensure a swift trial for the Vice President.
Political tensions have escalated amid Duterte’s legal challenges, with claims she made in an online press conference raising eyebrows. She suggested she would contract an assassin to take out the president, his wife, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were to become a victim of violence—a claim she later clarified was meant to express her concerns for her safety, rather than an outright threat.
The House has been scrutinizing the possible misuse of approximately 612.5 million pesos (around $10.3 million) in confidential funds that Duterte’s offices received during her tenure as Vice President and Education Secretary. After the political divide widened, she has since stepped down from the education role.
In previous televised hearings, she exhibited reluctance to address specific inquiries regarding the funds, and tensions heightened when her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, faced detention for allegedly obstructing the investigation. Lopez has since been released following hospitalization.
Duterte has leveled accusations against the Marcos administration, alleging corruption and weak leadership while suggesting motivations aimed at stifling her political aspirations. In connection to this, the National Bureau of Investigation has previously summoned her to discuss her threats, prompting increased security measures for the Marcos family amid the concerns.
The electoral partnership between Marcos and Duterte initially yielded significant victories in the 2022 elections, yet fractures have developed over policy differences. As the positions of President and Vice President are filled separately in the Philippines, the leaders have increasingly come to embody opposing views, particularly regarding the country’s approach to China’s territorial disputes in the South China Sea and the controversial anti-drug campaign initiated by Duterte’s father, under which thousands of alleged drug offenders were killed—an issue currently scrutinized by the International Criminal Court for potential crimes against humanity.
