ASEAN Beat | Politics | Southeast Asia

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte Responds to Impeachment Allegations

The 48-year-old faces charges of corruption, bribery, and an alleged plot to assassinate her rival, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte attends a graduation ceremony at a university in Tabogon, Cebu, Philippines, Jun. 30, 2026.

The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte began yesterday, after being delayed by legal challenges filed in the court and the squabble over the Senate leadership.

After months of refusing to acknowledge the impeachment hearings conducted by the House of Representatives, Duterte finally answered the impeachment allegations against her ahead of the Senate trial.

She insisted that the articles of impeachment submitted by the House “suffer from fatal constitutional, procedural, and substantive defects” and hence, should be dismissed. She added that the evidence against her contains “erroneous conclusions, speculation, political rhetoric and materials gathered through an unauthorized evidentiary fishing expedition.” She also criticized the House impeachment proceedings for being “tainted by pre-judgment.”

Duterte is accused of betraying public trust by misusing her confidential funds, non-declaration of assets, and plotting to assassinate the First Family.

Concerning the charge that she planned to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Duterte claimed that she “merely exercised constitutionally protected speech in opposition to the policies, conduct, actuations, and overreach of the current administration.”

She argued that free speech “applies not only to those who are favorably received but also to those that offend, shock, or disturb.”

She also denied that she was involved in an anti-government plot by asserting that the charges “are founded upon statements taken out of context, statements or interpretations unsupported by competent and admissible evidence.”

About the accusation that she pocketed millions of pesos in confidential funds, Duterte pointed out that the impeachment complaint offered no proof that she appropriated the funds for her own benefit.

She maintained that there is no final determination yet establishing malversation, plunder, graft, or any unlawful disbursement of public funds allotted to her office.

Duterte said that the inclusion of documents allegedly showing her undeclared cash assets and........

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