Philippine Congress poised to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte

The Philippine Senate convened on Monday as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte, days after the House of Representatives voted to impeach her for a second time over allegations of corruption, unexplained wealth and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano declared the trial open, with Al Jazeera reporting that Duterte has been given 10 days to respond to accusations that she misused public funds, amassed unexplained wealth and threatened the lives of Marcos, the first lady and a former House speaker. The convening came days after chaos and an exchange of gunfire in the upper house and a change in its leadership, both stemming from the re-emergence from hiding of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a pro-Duterte lawmaker wanted by the International Criminal Court, the outlet reported.

The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, will decide not only whether Duterte is removed from office but also whether she is barred from holding public office — a potentially decisive blow to her 2028 presidential run, South China Morning Post reported. A guilty verdict would remove her from office and bar her from holding elected positions for life, according to ABC Australia, Deutsche Welle and BBC — World. The 47-year-old vice-president, whose joint 2022 campaign with Marcos has given way to a fierce rivalry, has announced she will run for president in 2028 and leads early opinion surveys, as reported by The Guardian — World and BBC — World.

Coverage Comparison

News organizations approached the story from different angles. ABC Australia emphasized the move to a Senate trial, reporting that the impeachment complaint was backed by 255 of 317 lawmakers, surpassing the one-third threshold required, and that a conviction could disqualify Duterte from holding office for life.

Al Jazeera framed the proceedings amid political turmoil and deep division, reporting on the Senate leadership change, the reappearance of Dela Rosa and the protesters who rallied outside the Senate building, some voicing support for Duterte and others calling for her conviction. The outlet also noted that Duterte's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is in ICC custody in The Hague.

Deutsche Welle centered its report on the lower house vote, giving the tally as 255 to 26 with nine abstentions, and quoted lawmakers who said the vote was about accountability rather than political alliances. BBC — World reported the impeachment as the second in two years and examined the uncertain road to conviction, noting that senators are elected nationally and that a conviction is harder to predict than in the House. The Guardian — World reported the allegations in detail and noted Duterte's strength in early opinion polls, while pointing out that a conviction requires two-thirds of the Senate's 24 members and that candidates aligned with her family performed better than expected in last year's midterm elections.

South China Morning Post reported on the Senate's convening and described the fight over Cayetano's leadership as central to how quickly the trial moves and how the chamber handles politically sensitive issues. The Hindu — World led with the demonstrators outside the Senate, describing placards reading "Sara Duterte, Queen of Corruption" and "Hold Sara accountable, Arrest Bato."

Key Claims

• The House of Representatives voted to impeach Sara Duterte by 255 votes to 26, with nine abstentions — well beyond the one-third threshold needed to advance the case — according to Deutsche Welle. ABC Australia reported the complaint was backed by 255 of 317 lawmakers.
• The articles of impeachment allege misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, betrayal of public trust and culpable violations of the constitution, as well as threats against President Marcos, the first lady and former House speaker Martin Romualdez, according to Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle and South China Morning Post.
• Representative Terry Ridon, one of the main complainants, said the case cites private bank transactions of more than $110m flagged by the anti-money laundering agency, Al Jazeera reported.
• The Senate convened as an impeachment court on Monday. A conviction requires the backing of two-thirds of its 24 members, and a guilty verdict would remove Duterte from office and bar her from holding public office for life, as reported by The Guardian — World, ABC Australia and Deutsche Welle.
• Duterte was impeached on the same grounds in 2025, according to BBC — World, and an impeachment attempt against her was struck down by the Supreme Court last year, according to Deutsche Welle.
• Duterte denies all wrongdoing and has called the impeachment politically motivated, with her defense saying the burden of proof rests with her accusers, according to BBC — World, The Guardian — World and Deutsche Welle.
• Duterte has announced she will run for president in 2028, and the case could derail that ambition, multiple outlets reported.
• Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is in ICC custody in The Hague facing charges of crimes against humanity over anti-drugs crackdowns that killed thousands during his 2016-2022 presidency, as reported by Al Jazeera and The Hindu — World.
• Protesters rallied outside the Senate building, some supporting Duterte and others demanding her conviction, The Hindu — World and Al Jazeera reported.

Perspectives

Sara Duterte and her defense team. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing and said the impeachment is politically motivated. BBC — World reported that she described the case as "nothing more than a scrap of paper" in a formal written response and refused to appear at House committee hearings, which she said were politically driven. Her defense counsel said in a statement reported by The Guardian — World and Deutsche Welle: "The burden now rests on the accusers to substantiate their claims in accordance with the constitution, the law, and rules on evidence." The defense also said, according to Deutsche Welle: "We are fully prepared to defend the Vice President before the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court." Al Jazeera reported that the defense team said it would comply with the court but would not comment on the trial. Deutsche Welle reported that the threat allegation stems from a late-night briefing in which Duterte said she had hired an assassin to kill Marcos if he assassinated her first, and that she later said her remarks were misinterpreted, out of concern for her own safety. The Hindu — World reported that Duterte has blamed Marcos for "kidnapping" her ailing father, referring to his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Lawmakers behind the complaint. Representative Terry Ridon, one of the main complainants, said in a statement reported by Al Jazeera: "The scale of these transactions cannot be reasonably explained by lawful income, declared assets, or the businesses and professional activities attributed to the couple. Today's vote is therefore not merely a political exercise. It is a constitutional act of accountability." Representative Bienvenido Abante said after the House vote, as reported by Deutsche Welle: "This is no longer just about politics. This is about conscience, duty and the future of our nation. This is not about 2028, this is not about political alliances, this is about whether we still believe that no one is above the law."