The Philippine House of Representatives has endorsed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, marking a rare move that could lead to a Senate trial.
The bill of impeachment will now proceed to the Senate, where 23 senators would serve as jurors in proceedings that could potentially remove Duterte from office and impose a lifetime ban on holding public office. If convicted, she would be the second-highest official in Philippine history to face removal.
The specific grounds for impeachment were not immediately disclosed. Duterte has denied any wrongdoing, calling the effort a politically motivated vendetta.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco announced during a plenary session that 215 out of 306 lawmakers had endorsed the impeachment complaint.
The move represents a major political setback for the Duterte family, which rose to prominence after Rodrigo Duterte’s election as president in 2016. Known for his hardline stance on crime, Duterte reshaped Philippine foreign policy and initiated a controversial “war on drugs” that resulted in thousands of deaths.
Sara Duterte’s impeachment comes amid a highly publicized rift between her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., following the collapse of an alliance that secured their landslide victory in the 2022 election.
Tensions escalated in November when Duterte claimed during a press conference that she had hired an assassin to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez—Marcos’ cousin—if she were assassinated. She later stated her remarks were taken out of context.
Marcos has said he does not support her impeachment but emphasized that he has no control over the legislative process.
A representative for Duterte did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the impeachment endorsement.
Duterte is now the fourth Philippine official to face impeachment, following former President Joseph Estrada, an ombudsman, and a Supreme Court chief justice. Grounds for impeachment in the Philippines include treason, bribery, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and violations of the constitution.
In response, her brother, Davao congressman Paolo Duterte, expressed outrage. According to a statement posted by ABS-CBN News on X, he condemned the impeachment effort as “desperate and politically motivated.”
“Mark my words: this reckless abuse of power will not end in their favor,” he warned.
