The Philippine House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on February 5, 2025, making her the first vice president in the nation’s history to face such a process.
The impeachment followed a complaint that included the following accusations: betrayal of public trust and high crimes related to threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez in 2024; graft and corruption due to misuse of confidential funds from the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President; bribery; betrayal of public trust due to unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets; commission of high crimes involving extrajudicial killings in the so-called “war on drugs”; and betrayal of public trust for alleged destabilization plots, high crimes of sedition and insurrection.
240 of the 306 members of the House of Representatives supported the impeachment complaint. According to the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, an impeachment complaint can be forwarded to the Senate for trial if more than one-third of the House members sign and endorse the petition. The Senate would then serve as the impeachment court. However, since the Senate is currently in recess and will not reconvene until June 2025, Senate President Chiz Escudero has suggested that the trial begin on July 30, 2025, after the mid-term elections in May and President Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address.
Escudero’s argument that he cannot convene the Senate during recess has sparked legal and constitutional debates. Some lawmakers insist that starting the trial by June or July would be too late and would run contrary to the 1987 Constitution’s definition of “forthwith”. Members of the House prosecution team are concerned “about the potential tampering of key evidence and the intimidation of witnesses as the trial faces continued delays.” Former Supreme Court Justice Adolfo Azcuna, one of the authors of the current constitution, argued that the impeachment trial may continue during a Senate recess, as the constitution mandates that it must proceed without delay, regardless of the legislative calendar.
The May mid-term election will determine the fate of Sara Duterte, as half of the Senate’s 24 seats will be contested. A two-thirds Senate vote is required to convict her, meaning at least 16 senators must vote in favor of her conviction. The election results will play a critical role in shaping her trial outcome.
Duterte has denied the charges and submitted on February 18, 2025, a petition to the Supreme Court, seeking to have the impeachment complaint against her nullified. Duterte and her supporters claim that the accusations against her are politically driven and intended to undermine her chances in the 2028 presidential elections.
Duterte’s impeachment has intensified the rivalry between the Duterte and Marcos families, deepening the division within the Philippine political landscape. Despite Marcos’ denial of any involvement, Duterte’s impeachment has marked the end of their fragile political alliance.
If convicted, Duterte could be removed from office and disqualified from future public office. A conviction could significantly weaken her political influence and hinder her aspirations of becoming the next president of the Philippines. If she is removed, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. can a new vice president from Congress, allowing him to choose someone loyal to him.
However, if acquitted, she could continue her political career, with a one-year constitutional limit preventing another impeachment attempt.
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