ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia

The Romanovs and ‘Invictus’ in the Impeachment Trial of Philippine Vice President

Sara Duterte claimed that she is “bloodied but unbowed” in the face of persecution by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration.

The Philippine Senate holds a hearing during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Jul. 14, 2026.

Russia’s Romanov dynasty and William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus” were repeatedly mentioned during the first two weeks of the impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, sparking heated commentaries and online debates on history, violence, and accountability.

After being impeached twice by the House of Representatives for betrayal of public trust, Duterte is now on trial in the Senate, which is constitutionally mandated to deliver a verdict and decide if the vice president should be allowed to stay in office or be removed and barred from holding another elected position.

During the second day of her trial, Duterte appeared in the Senate to consult with her lawyers. She also faced the press and delivered a short sound bite: “In this bloodbath and bludgeoning, I will be bloodied but unbowed.”

The statement was obviously inspired by the Victorian-era poem “Invictus,” written by Henley. Invictus is Latin for being unconquered in the face of adversity.

The poem seems to be a favorite of the Dutertes. A few months ago, former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sara’s father, quoted another line from the poem, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Duterte is currently under the custody of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and is facing trial for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the bloody anti-drug campaign during his term.

The two Dutertes could be trying to assure their supporters that they will survive their trials while seeking to generate public sympathy. It echoes their earlier assertion that they are being unfairly persecuted by the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. However, their critics insist that the suffering endured by the narrator in the poem is incomparable to the situation of the Dutertes, who are being held to account for their abuses of power.

The first issue presented by the prosecution was the allegation that the vice president was involved in a conspiracy to harm the First Family. Duterte is accused of making a threat to kill Marcos and his wife and cousin in a Zoom video press conference in November 2024. Through her lawyers, Duterte has denied the charge and claimed that her statements were taken out of context.

During the cross-examination of a witness, Duterte’s lawyer asked about an “Operation Romanov,” mentioned in the........

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