Philippines vice president Sara Duterte impeached for a second time

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Philippine VP Sara Duterte impeached for a second time15 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJoel GuintoGetty ImagesDuterte was impeached on the same grounds in 2025The Philippine House of Representatives has voted to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte for a second time, threatening her plan to run for president in 2028. Monday's vote moves the impeachment process to the Senate for trial, where if convicted, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte will be disqualified from holding public office. The 47-year-old is leading early surveys to replace her ally-turned-bitter foe, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The case against the vice-president stemmed from her alleged misuse of public funds and public threats against Marcos, his wife and his cousin, the former House speaker. Duterte was impeached on the same grounds in 2025, but the Supreme Court blocked it on a technicality before the Senate trial could start. The case was revived this year.

The Details

Last week, a House committee that looked into the evidence against the vice-president ruled that there was sufficient grounds to impeach her. Duterte described the case as "nothing more than a scrap of paper" in a formal written response. She refused to appear in the committee hearings which she said had been politically motivated.

Monday night's impeachment vote served as a barometer of Marcos' support in the House. 255 of the 290 lawmakers in attendance voted to impeach Duterte, more than the one-thirds required to advance the case to trial. But unlike in the House, a conviction in the Senate is uncertain, if a trial does start and runs its course.

In Philippine politics that is dominated by patronage and dynastic alliances, House members, who are elected per legislative district are friendlier to the incumbent president, compared to senators. The country's 24 senators are elected on the national level and the Senate is a traditional springboard for those hoping to run for president or vice-president in the future. In the 2025 mid-term vote, where half of the Senate was elected, candidates allied with Duterte fared better than those who ran under Marcos' coalition.

What Experts Say

But the outcome of an impeachment vote will be difficult to predict under the country's multi-party system with shifting alliances. Getty ImagesThe vice-president's father is former president Rodrigo DuterteDuterte announced her intention to run for president in February, much earlier than expected. Marcos is limited by the constitution to a single six-year term.

She holds a 17-point lead over her nearest rival based on a survey in March by Manila pollster WR Numero. In the 2022 elections, Duterte was the survey frontrunner to succeed her father, but she formed an alliance with Marcos and ran for vice-president instead to consolidate their support bases and fend off a reformist wave. The pair won by a landslide.

But the alliance soon unravelled as they pursued divergent political agendas.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.