Philippine Senate opens impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte

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

Charges and Potential Consequences

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

• Corruption
• Misuse of government funds
• An alleged plot to assassinate 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 vice president 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 trial's opening day. Both supporters and detractors held protests in the vicinity.

Trial Schedule and Timeline

The trial will convene three days per week, with the prosecution allotted 62 trial dates and the defense 30. This schedule suggests proceedings could extend into the latter months of 2026, and potentially beyond.

Opening Arguments

During Monday's session, House prosecutors 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, who has announced plans to seek the presidency in 2028, did not attend the session. She has flatly denied all allegations, stating earlier this week that the articles of impeachment "suffer from fatal constitutional, procedural, and substantive defects" and that the evidence against her consists of "erroneous conclusions, speculation, political rhetoric and materials gathered through an unauthorized evidentiary fishing expedition."

Defense counsel Sheila Sison dismissed the prosecution's corruption claims, asserting that President Marcos and his Cabinet approved the request and release of the allegedly questionable funds.

Background 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
• Her public threat to have President Marcos, his wife, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated in the event of her own killing

Duterte was previously impeached in February 2025 on similar charges, 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 Context

The impeachment drama stems from a bitter political feud between the Duterte and Marcos families that has escalated over the past two years. Despite forming a successful alliance 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 prompted 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 last year. The 81-year-old former president 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 Duterte family has 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 pro-Duterte leadership coup in May and a counter-coup by opponents on June 17—have unsettled Duterte's supporters.

Three pro-Duterte senators will be absent for the trial's duration and unable to vote:

• Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa remains in hiding to avoid an ICC warrant for his involvement in the "war on drugs"
• Senator Jinggoy Estrada has surrendered to authorities on plunder charges, claiming he was targeted due to his support for Duterte
• Senator Rodante Marcoleta has also surrendered to authorities on plunder charges