MANILA. Vice President Sara Duterte of the Philippines was impeached on Wednesday, facing serious accusations including a plot to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., widespread corruption, and failure to strongly condemn China’s actions in the South China Sea. The impeachment deepens the rift between Duterte and Marcos, two of the country’s most prominent political figures.
The impeachment was spearheaded by legislators in the House of Representatives, many of whom are loyal to Marcos. This move highlights the ongoing political discord between the two leaders, who ran on a platform of unity in the 2022 elections. Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has repeatedly clashed with Marcos and his family, accusing them of corruption, weak leadership, and suppressing her potential bid for the presidency in 2028.
In total, 215 legislators signed the impeachment complaint, surpassing the threshold required to send the petition to the Senate, which would serve as a tribunal for her trial. Among the signatories were President Marcos’s son, Representative Sandro Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The petition called for the Senate to shift into an impeachment court, convict Duterte, remove her from office, and bar her from holding any future public office.
The complaint alleges that Duterte’s actions have “clearly displayed gross faithlessness against public trust” and her “gross unfitness to hold public office.” It also accuses her of a “tyrannical abuse of power” during her time in office.
The impeachment primarily focuses on a controversial statement made by Duterte in November 2023, in which she suggested that she had contracted an assassin to kill Marcos, his wife, and Romualdez if she were to be killed. Although Duterte later clarified that she was not threatening them, the comment sparked national security concerns and led to an investigation.
In addition to the assassination remarks, Duterte faces allegations of corruption and misuse of her office’s funds. A House investigation revealed the alleged misuse of 612.5 million pesos ($10.5 million) in confidential and intelligence funds allocated to her office while serving as vice president and education secretary. The investigation also pointed to unexplained wealth and her failure to disclose assets as required by law.
The impeachment petition also criticized Duterte for undermining the Marcos administration’s policies, particularly in relation to the South China Sea disputes. The vice president’s remarks calling the government’s handling of territorial disputes with China a “fiasco” and her silence on China’s aggressive actions in the region were noted as key points of contention.
The complaint also described Duterte’s “evasiveness and silence” on the West Philippine Sea issue as being in stark contrast to her vocal stance on other matters.
Duterte has yet to respond publicly to the impeachment but her brother, Representative Paolo Duterte, called the move a “clear act of political persecution” aimed at sidelining her. He criticized rival lawmakers for quickly gathering signatures and pushing what he called a “baseless impeachment case” to the Senate.
The impeachment of Vice President Duterte marks a new chapter in the ongoing political drama that continues to unfold in the Philippines as tensions rise between two of the country’s most powerful political families.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
- Carlo Juancho Funtanillahttps://tutubi.ph/author/carlojpf/
