By: Quinn Hathaway
Media Production Editor
The Philippines House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte for a second time on May 11, upending Philippine politics ahead of the upcoming presidential election. Duterte was sworn into office in 2022 under the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with whom she had allied herself. However, the duo split political pathways a number of years ago, and a series of heated exchanges followed, though they remained in office together. Duterte’s first impeachment occurred in 2025, after she claimed to hire an assassin to kill Marcos should someone murder Duterte herself. The case went through the Senate, as is routine with cases against officials in the Philippines and the U.S., but Duterte petitioned it on the grounds of constitutionality, and the Supreme Court declared the impeachment unconstitutional. The Senate shelved the case, and Duterte continued to serve as vice president until the latest claim against her.
The current impeachment questions Duterte’s financial affairs, calling out “unexplained” wealth and misuse of government funds. Duterte and her supporters are pinning the case on Marcos and his family, as he is constitutionally confined to a one-term presidency. However, lawmakers in favor of the impeachment appear to have serious concerns about her acquired wealth, tracing back to her time as Mayor of Davao in 2019 and continuing through her roles as education secretary and vice president. The Anti-Money Laundering Council presented evidence against Duterte, alleging that she engaged in transactions inconsistent with her annual net worth.
The House voted on May 11, with 257 votes in favor of impeachment, greatly exceeding the minimum amount of a third to proceed with the trial. Despite the House’s negative polling against Duterte, the Senate hosts a large pro-Duterte bloc, mostly due to her father, Rodrigo Duterte, the former Philippine president. Though the past president is currently facing a trial in the Netherlands for “crimes against humanity,” the family name is a Philippine legacy and boasts a large political base. Another factor that may affect the Senate’s vote is the recent leadership change: the newly elected Alan Cayetano, a well-known ally of the Duterte dynasty. The public saw this change as suspicious, as the prior president, Vincente Sotto III, publicly vowed to put Duterte on trial, and the board promptly voted him out of office, the same day the impeachment proceedings commenced.
The Senate has not yet released the trial date, but rumors are circulating throughout the Philippine political scene, casting doubt on her plans to run for president. Jean Encinas-Franco, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, confirmed, “The manner in which the impeachment trial will play out before the public will shape how voters will look at her candidacy.” Duterte’s 2028 election bid is riding on whether or not she is convicted.
(Sources: BBC, PBS, NY Times)