Philippine House Impeaches Vice-President Sara Duterte Second Time for Misuse of Funds
The Philippine House of Representatives has voted to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, for a second time. This action poses a significant threat to her anticipated 2028 presidential campaign, where she currently leads early public opinion surveys.
Impeachment Grounds and Political Ramifications
Monday's vote saw 255 of 290 attending lawmakers support the impeachment, exceeding the one-third threshold required to move the process to the Senate for trial. Should she be convicted by the Senate, the Vice-President would face disqualification from holding public office.
The grounds for impeachment centre on allegations of misuse of public funds and public threats reportedly made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and his cousin, the former House Speaker. Duterte had previously faced impeachment on similar accusations in 2025, a process that was halted by the Supreme Court on a technicality before a Senate trial could commence. The case was subsequently revived this year, with a House committee last week determining sufficient grounds for impeachment.
Duterte has dismissed the case as "nothing more than a scrap of paper," refusing to participate in committee hearings, which she described as politically motivated. Her defence counsel stated that the "burden now rests on the accusers to substantiate their claims."
Shifting Alliances and Western Interests
The House vote serves as a gauge of President Marcos Jr.'s influence within the legislative body. However, the prospect of a conviction in the Senate remains less certain. Unlike House members, who are often more aligned with the incumbent president due to local electoral dynamics, the 24 nationally elected senators often eye future presidential or vice-presidential bids, leading to a less predictable political landscape. The 2025 mid-term Senate elections, for example, saw candidates allied with Duterte perform more strongly than those linked to Marcos's coalition.
The unravelling alliance between Marcos and Duterte, who won the 2022 elections in a landslide by consolidating their respective support bases, highlights the fluid nature of Philippine dynastic politics. Marcos's allies initiated investigations into alleged fund misuse in Duterte's office. Furthermore, Marcos allowed the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue the arrest and trial of Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity linked to his 'war on drugs'. These internal political machinations occur within a broader context where Western powers, particularly the US, maintain significant strategic interests in the Philippines, viewing it as a crucial outpost for projecting influence in the South China Sea and a partner in regional security arrangements.
