MANILA — In a stunning escalation of the Philippines’ most explosive political rivalry, Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached again on Monday by an overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives, thrusting the country deeper into a high-stakes power struggle that could shape the 2028 presidential race.
Lawmakers voted 255 to 26, with nine abstentions, to charge the powerful daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte with misusing public funds and betraying public trust — including allegations tied to her shocking claim that she had arranged an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. if she were murdered.
The dramatic move marks the latest chapter in the bitter fallout between two once-allied political dynasties that teamed up to win the 2022 election but have since turned into fierce adversaries.
This is the second time the House has impeached Duterte. The first attempt last year was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional, with the Senate ultimately shelving the case. Analysts say the same fate likely awaits this round: conviction in the Senate, which requires a two-thirds vote and remains dominated by Duterte allies, appears highly improbable.
Adding fresh drama to the day, the Senate elected Alan Peter Cayetano — a known Duterte ally — as its new president just as the House began voting. The timing raised immediate questions about whether the upper chamber will even seriously pursue a trial.
Duterte’s legal team slammed the proceedings as a “witch hunt” and a “fishing expedition.” Her camp views the impeachment as a calculated effort by Marcos allies to derail her strong bid for the presidency in 2028, since the incumbent is barred from seeking re-election.
House members defending the vote insisted they had no choice but to act. Citing evidence from the Anti-Money Laundering Council showing bank transactions that allegedly did not match Duterte’s declared net worth, Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. declared: “Our vote today is not a declaration of guilt — it is a declaration that Congress cannot look away.”
Political observers warn that even without a Senate conviction, the weeks of damaging allegations could erode Duterte’s once-formidable public image. “There’s a well-established precedent in Philippine politics that those who experience this kind of exposure end up losing public support,” said pollster Cleve Arguelles of WR Numero Research.
The Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court as early as Wednesday.
In a day already heavy with political theater, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa — a key figure in the former Duterte administration’s drug war — made a surprise return to the Senate after six months out of public view. His reappearance came amid unconfirmed reports of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant linked to the drug campaign. CCTV footage showed Dela Rosa and his aides dashing through Senate halls as law enforcement reportedly pursued them. He had not been arrested as of Monday evening.
For now, Sara Duterte remains in office, shielded by the one-year bar on new impeachment complaints if she survives this round. But in the cutthroat arena of Philippine politics, the battle is far from over — and the stakes could not be higher.
