MANILA, Philippines — The Vice President of the Philippines, Sara Duterte, faced impeachment on Wednesday, amid serious allegations including a plot to assassinate the president, widespread corruption, and a failure to adequately condemn China’s aggressive actions towards Filipino forces in the contentious South China Sea.
This impeachment move by members of the House of Representatives has intensified the already existing political divide between the two leaders of one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has strengthened defense relations with the United States, contrasting with the vice president’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who fostered strong ties with China and Russia during his controversial presidency, which concluded in 2022.
While Sara Duterte did not respond directly to the impeachment, her brother, Representative Paolo Duterte, characterized the action as a blatant act of political persecution. He claimed that rival lawmakers were quick to gather signatures for what he described as a “baseless impeachment case” intended for Senate review.
Duterte has made allegations against Marcos and his family, accusing them of corruption and ineffective leadership, suggesting they are trying to stifle her political ambitions in light of speculation that she might pursue the presidency in 2028, after the conclusion of Marcos’s current term.
The impeachment complaint gathered significant momentum, with at least 215 lawmakers from the lower house signing it, surpassing the minimum necessary number needed to expedite its progression to the Senate. The Secretary-General of the House, Reginald Velasco, announced at the plenary meeting that the complaint would move forward to the Senate, which would serve as the trial court for the vice president.
Among those who supported the impeachment complaint were Sandro Marcos, the son of the president, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The petition requested that the Senate convene as an impeachment court, to deliver a judgment of conviction against the vice president and subsequently remove her from office while barring her from future public service.
The complaint asserted that Duterte’s actions during her term exhibited a severe breach of public trust and an abusive use of authority, indicating her incapacity to serve in public office, violating both public trust and the laws outlined in the 1987 Constitution.
In the 2022 election, where Sara Duterte was a running mate of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., both promoted a message of unity amid a polarized political landscape in Southeast Asia. Despite their backgrounds as children of leaders with records of human rights abuses, they achieved resounding electoral victories due to their strong regional support bases.
The political partnership that was formed during the campaign rapidly deteriorated once they assumed office. The impeachment allegations against Duterte stemmed from a purported death threat she made last year, which allegedly targeted the president, his wife, and House Speaker Romualdez, as well as accusations of misusing intelligence funds and failing to strongly advocate against Chinese provocations in the South China Sea.
During an online press conference on November 23, she claimed to have hired an assassin to kill Marcos if anything happened to her, emphasizing that her threat was serious. Later, she clarified that her remarks were misinterpreted and were meant to convey her concerns for her own safety, not a direct threat.
Additionally, she faces multiple charges of graft, including claims of mishandling approximately 612.5 million pesos ($10.5 million) allocated for confidential and intelligence expenses from her roles as both vice president and education secretary. Sara has since stepped down from her role in education following her worsening political rift with Marcos.
She is also accused of failing to declare substantial wealth, violating legal stipulations. In previous hearings, she has been reticent and uncooperative in addressing detailed questions regarding her wealth. Furthermore, the impeachment petition alleges that Duterte has compromised the Marcos administration’s initiatives, labeling its management of disputes with China over the South China Sea as a “fiasco.” Her silence and reluctance to speak out against Chinese aggressions have also been highlighted as points of concern in the complaint.
The complaint critiques her evasiveness regarding crucial national sovereignty issues while highlighting her vocalness on other topics. The petition underscored that her hesitance to engage with the West Philippine Sea issue stands in stark contradiction to her willingness to address other matters publicly.
