Parliament Moves: RI's Neighbouring Vice President Begins Impeachment Process Today
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Vice President of the Philippines Sara Duterte faces the biggest political test of her career after the country’s parliament, or House of Representatives, is scheduled to hold a vote on Monday (11/5/2026) regarding her impeachment process. This move could pose a serious obstacle to her ambitions to run in the 2028 presidential election.
The impeachment process deepens the political conflict between the Duterte family and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s camp, two major forces that previously allied in a landslide victory in the 2022 elections but have now turned into fierce rivals.
If a majority of lower house members support the impeachment, the Philippine Senate must hold a trial with senators acting as jurors. If found guilty, Sara Duterte not only risks losing her vice-presidential position but also being barred from entering politics.
The parliamentary justice committee last month stated there was sufficient basis to proceed with the impeachment process against Sara Duterte. The petition was filed by activist groups accusing her of misusing public funds, possessing unexplained wealth, and threatening the safety of President Marcos Jr., his wife, and the former House Speaker.
Despite facing significant political pressure, Sara Duterte is still considered the strongest candidate to succeed Marcos in the 2028 election. The Philippine Constitution limits the presidential term to one period, so Marcos cannot run again.
Their relationship has changed drastically compared to the 2022 situation when Marcos and Duterte ran on a joint political ticket and both won decisively in separate elections for president and vice president.
Sara Duterte has even previously apologised for helping to bring Marcos to power.
Duterte denies all the accusations levelled against her. Her legal team claims the impeachment petition is legally flawed and merely a “fishing expedition”.
Cited from Reuters, the Monday voting schedule was confirmed by the House of Representatives General Secretary Cheloy Garafil and justice committee member Leila de Lima. If more than one-third of lower house members support the impeachment, the process automatically proceeds to the Senate for an official trial.
This impeachment effort is the latest blow to the Duterte family, which has dominated Philippine politics for years.
Sara Duterte’s father, Rodrigo Duterte, is currently facing international pressure and awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court regarding the war on drugs during his administration from 2016-2022, which killed thousands of people.
The political conflict between Sara Duterte and Marcos has also continued to worsen in recent months.
Last year, the Philippine House of Representatives had actually passed an impeachment against Sara Duterte. However, that decision was overturned by the Supreme Court due to procedural issues.
If ultimately impeached, Sara Duterte could become the highest-ranking Philippine official to undergo such a process since former President Joseph Estrada in 2000. Estrada’s trial at that time failed to proceed after the prosecutors walked out of the session.
Besides Estrada, the Philippines has also impeached three other high-ranking officials, including an ombudsman and an election commission head who resigned before the trial concluded.
The only high-ranking official who was actually found guilty in an impeachment process in the Philippines is former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Meanwhile, Marcos himself faced a separate impeachment attempt in February. However, that move failed after his allies in Congress voted to reject it.
Marcos is attempting to distance himself from the legal process against Sara Duterte and is not publicly involved in the process.