ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia

Philippine Legislators Set to Vote on Impeachment Complaint Against Vice President

As in 2025, Sara Duterte is accused of betraying public trust, misusing government funds, and plotting to assassinate the First Family.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte attends a meeting of the Philippine Elementary School Principals Association in Davao City, Philippines, Apr. 8, 2026.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte faces the prospect of being impeached again based on recent hearings conducted by the House of Representatives.

The committee hearings are set to conclude at the end of the month, before the issue is sent to the plenary for a vote in early May. The House remains dominated by allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who first impeached Duterte in February 2025. Marcos and Duterte were allies in the 2022 elections and led a “unity government” until their political falling out in 2024.

The 2025 impeachment was transmitted to the Senate for trial, but the Senate delayed establishing an impeachment court and later remanded the case back to the House. In July, the Supreme Court nullified the impeachment on procedural grounds.

After the lapse of the one-year ban on the filing of impeachment cases, a new complaint was filed against Duterte in February. As in 2025, she is accused of betrayal of public trust for allegedly misusing her confidential funds and plotting to assassinate the First Family.

House leaders said their actions will be guided by the Supreme Court ruling in 2025 to avoid the premature dismissal of the impeachment. Despite this commitment, Duterte’s camp has questioned the impeachment hearings and petitioned the court to stop the House from conducting investigations.

The issue remains pending, which allowed the House to continue with the impeachment proceedings. House leaders urged Duterte to attend the hearings and answer queries from legislators to defend her side, instead of repeatedly attempting to block the impeachment by petitioning the court to intervene.

The hearings are different from the impeachment trial, which will take place only if the case reaches the Senate. But the ongoing hearings already provide an overview of the evidence and witnesses that could be presented at a trial. Perhaps House members wanted the public to be made aware of the evidence they gathered against Duterte, since there is no certainty that the Senate will immediately constitute an impeachment court. Duterte has solid allies in the Senate who may move to either delay or block the impeachment initiative.

Aside from citing previous allegations of corruption and bribery against Duterte, the House committee invited a self-confessed “bagman” and........

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