Philippine House impeaches Vice President Sara Duterte for second time

The Philippine House of Representatives voted Monday to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for a second time, jeopardizing her plans to run for president in 2028.

The vote sends the impeachment complaint to the Senate for trial. A conviction there would bar the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte from holding public office.

The allegations center on her misuse of public funds and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos, his wife and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Duterte faced impeachment on the same charges in 2025, but the Supreme Court halted the process on a technicality before a Senate trial began.

Lawmakers revived the case this year. Last week, a House committee reviewed the evidence and found sufficient grounds to impeach her.

In a written response, Duterte called the complaint "nothing more than a scrap of paper." She skipped the committee hearings, which she described as politically motivated.

The Monday night vote tested President Marcos' backing in the House. Of 290 lawmakers present, 255 voted yes, surpassing the one-third threshold needed to advance the case.

Conviction in the Senate looks less certain, even if a trial proceeds. House members, elected by district, tend to align with the sitting president in a system driven by patronage and family ties.

The 24 senators, chosen nationwide, often use the chamber as a launchpad for presidential or vice presidential bids.

In the 2025 midterm elections, which renewed half the Senate, Duterte allies outperformed Marcos coalition candidates.

Predicting a Senate impeachment outcome proves tough in the multi-party landscape of fluid alliances.

Duterte declared her presidential bid in February, well ahead of schedule. The constitution restricts Marcos to one six-year term.

A March survey by Manila-based WR Numero showed her leading her closest rival by 17 points.

In the 2022 elections, polls positioned Duterte to follow her father as president. Instead, she allied with Marcos, ran for vice president and helped them win in a landslide to merge voter bases and counter reformers.

Amid intense scrutiny, Duterte held a late-night online press conference. She said she had told one person, "if I get killed, go kill BBM [President Marcos], Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez."