Philippine House Judiciary Committee Finds Sufficient Evidence, RI's Neighbour's Vice President to Be Impeached Soon
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Philippine House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee has stated that there is sufficient evidence to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. This decision brings the process one step closer to a crucial stage that could thwart her ambitions to run in the upcoming presidential election.
The impeachment complaint will be brought to a plenary session when Congress reconvenes next month, provided it receives support from at least one-third of House members to proceed to the Senate. If found guilty, Duterte could be removed from office and banned from politics for life.
This impeachment effort is driven by civil society groups and left-wing organisations. They accuse Duterte of misusing public funds, possessing unexplained wealth, and threatening the safety of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family.
In the committee-level vote, all 53 members agreed that there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the impeachment process. However, Duterte denies all the allegations and describes the move as politically motivated.
“The finding of sufficient evidence by the House Judiciary Committee is not unexpected, given the direction of the ongoing process,” said Duterte’s lawyer in an official statement, as quoted by Reuters on Wednesday (29/4/2026).
He also assessed that the process is not in accordance with constitutional provisions. “We respectfully assert that the proceedings before the committee deviate from the constitutional framework. Instead of limiting itself to the verified complaint, the process has expanded to matters that should be part of a full trial,” he continued.
This situation exacerbates the political conflict between Duterte and her former ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The two previously ran as a ticket in the 2022 election and secured a landslide victory. However, their relationship has deteriorated in recent times.
With Marcos eligible for only one term under the constitution, Duterte was previously touted as a strong candidate for the 2028 presidential election. Even in February, she had declared her intention to run and apologised for previously supporting Marcos.
On the other hand, pressure on the Duterte family is also mounting. Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is preparing to face a trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague over thousands of killings in his “war on drugs” policy.
If it proceeds, Duterte could become the second high-ranking official in the Philippines to be impeached after former President Joseph Estrada in 2001. Several other officials have faced similar processes, though some resigned before trial, while former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona was the only one convicted.