ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia

What’s the Philippine Senate Drama All About?

The country’s upper house has become highly polarized, creating doubts about the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The Philippine Senate’s Blue Ribbon Committee, which is looking into anomalous government flood control spending, convenes a meeting in the Senate chamber, Jun. 8, 2026.

The Congress of the Philippines has already adjourned its sessions, but senators continue to squabble over who constitutes the majority and who should be recognized as Senate president. Resolving the leadership dispute is crucial not just to process the backlog in legislative work, but also to determine and finalize the rules and timetable of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in May for alleged betrayal of public trust, but the Senate is tasked with conducting a trial and issuing a verdict.

It has been a chaotic month for the Senate after Duterte allies managed to gain control of the Senate leadership. First, a pro-Duterte senator who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity was able to evade arrest when he was given “protective custody” by his colleagues in the new majority. Pro-Duterte senators were later accused of causing a shooting distraction that allowed the suspect to escape the Senate building. As of this writing, he remains a fugitive.

Second, the Duterte bloc attempted the revision of plenary rules to allow remote participation and online voting, a move intended to benefit senators who may be forced to skip sessions to avoid being arrested over corruption charges. This brazen maneuver was fiercely opposed by members of the minority who staged a walkout to defeat the measure.

Third, the Duterte bloc did not attend the plenary after one of its members was arrested on the non-bailable charge of plunder. The boycott during the week before the scheduled adjournment of Congress sessions derailed the passage of key legislative matters while ensuring that Duterte allies retained the leadership post in the Senate.

The Senate is deeply........

© The Diplomat