Philippine Senate opens impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte

The Philippine Senate on Monday opened the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, launching a process expected to dominate the country's political landscape through the second half of 2026.

Background and Charges

In May, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte on multiple grounds, including:

• Corruption
• Misuse of government funds
• An alleged plot to kill her former ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and his wife

If convicted by a two-thirds vote in the 24-seat Senate, the 48-year-old Duterte would be removed from office and permanently barred from holding elected office.

Security and Protests

More than 6,000 police officers were deployed around the Senate building for the opening day of the trial. Both supporters and detractors held protests in the vicinity.

Trial Schedule

The trial, set against the backdrop of a bitter feud between Duterte and President Marcos Jr., will convene three days per week. The prosecution has been allotted 62 trial dates, while the defense has 30, suggesting the proceedings could extend into late 2026 or beyond.

Opening Arguments

During Monday's session, prosecutors from the House of Representatives focused primarily on corruption allegations.

"If ordinary Filipinos are held to account, why not the most powerful government official? That is why the trial is important," said Congresswoman Gerville Luistro, presenting the prosecution's opening argument.

Duterte's Response

Duterte, who has announced plans to seek the presidency in 2028, did not attend the session. She has flatly denied all allegations. Earlier this week, she stated that the articles of impeachment "suffer from fatal constitutional, procedural, and substantive defects" and that the evidence against her consisted of "erroneous conclusions, speculation, political rhetoric and materials gathered through an unauthorized evidentiary fishing expedition."

Defense counsel Sheila Sison dismissed the corruption claims linked to alleged misuse of confidential funds, arguing that Marcos and his Cabinet had approved the request and release of the questioned funds.

Origins of the Impeachment

The impeachment stems from two complaints filed in February, alleging that Duterte misused 612.5 million pesos ($10 million) in confidential funds as vice president and education secretary. The complaints also cite:

• Unexplained wealth
• Bribery allegations during her tenure as education secretary
• A public threat to have Marcos, his wife, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated in the event of her own killing

Previous Impeachment Attempt

Duterte was previously impeached in February 2025 on similar grounds, including "violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes." However, the Supreme Court dismissed that complaint in July, ruling it violated a constitutional ban on multiple impeachment proceedings within a single year.

Political Feud

The impeachment drama is largely an outgrowth of the political feud between the Duterte and Marcos clans over the past two years. Despite teaming up successfully ahead of the 2022 presidential election—where both Duterte and Marcos won with decisive majorities—the two families have since fallen out over personal and political disagreements.

The feud led Marcos' allies to investigate Duterte's conduct as education secretary before her resignation in mid-2024. It also led Marcos to approve the arrest of Duterte's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. The 81-year-old is now awaiting trial at The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity related to his anti-drug campaign.

Uncertain Outcome

The trial's outcome remains uncertain. The Dutertes have more allies in the Senate than in the House, making it challenging for prosecutors to secure the two-thirds vote needed for conviction.

However, recent dramatic events—including a leadership coup by the pro-Duterte faction in May and a counter-coup by opponents on June 17—have unsettled Duterte's supporters.

As things stand, three pro-Duterte senators will be absent for the duration of the trial and unable to vote:

• Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa remains in hiding to avoid an ICC warrant for his involvement in Duterte's "war on drugs"
• Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta have surrendered to authorities on plunder charges. Estrada claims he has been targeted due to his political support.