Philippine Congress Endorses Impeachment Complaint Against Vice President Sara Duterte
The Philippine lower house of Congress has endorsed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, setting the stage for a rare trial in the Senate.
The bill will be sent to the upper house, where the 23 senators will act as jurors, potentially leading to Duterte’s removal from office and a lifetime ban on holding public office.
This marks a significant moment in Philippine politics, as Duterte would become the second-highest official in the country to face impeachment.
The grounds for impeachment were not immediately disclosed, but Duterte has consistently denied any wrongdoing, calling the move a political attack.
During a plenary session, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed that 215 out of 306 lawmakers backed the impeachment complaint.
This move is a major blow to the influential Duterte family, who rose to prominence after Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, which was marked by a tough “war on drugs” and controversial foreign policy shifts.
The impeachment push comes amid a deepening rift between Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The fallout began after the collapse of the powerful alliance between their families that secured their joint election victory in 2022.
Tensions escalated when Duterte claimed in a November press conference that she had hired an assassin to kill Marcos, his wife, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, if she were to be killed herself. She later claimed her statement was misinterpreted.
While Marcos has publicly stated that he does not support his vice president’s impeachment, he acknowledged that he has no influence over the legislative process.
Duterte now faces becoming the fourth official in Philippine history to be impeached, following former President Joseph Estrada, a former ombudsman, and a former Supreme Court chief justice. Impeachment grounds in the Philippines include violation of the constitution, treason, bribery, corruption, high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.
Duterte’s brother, Congressman Paolo Duterte, voiced his outrage, condemning the impeachment as politically motivated. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), he warned, “Mark my words: this reckless abuse of power will not end in their favor.”
