Congress votes on impeachment of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte

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The Philippine House of Representatives has voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, with 257 out of 318 members supporting the motion. The impeachment complaint was filed against her for alleged constitutional violations and misuse of government funds.

A total of nine members abstained from voting, while 26 members opposed the impeachment. The vote exceeded the one-third threshold required to send the complaint to the Philippine Senate for trial.

The charges against Duterte include two constitutional violations, betrayal of public trust, and failure to disclose her wealth. One of the main allegations is related to private bank transactions totaling over $110 million, flagged by the anti-money laundering agency.

The House has requested that the Senate declare Duterte “guilty” on all four articles of impeachment, seek her removal as vice president, and disqualify her from holding any government office in the future. The impeachment process requires a two-thirds majority vote in the Senate to remove her from office.

A previous impeachment motion against Duterte was passed in 2025 but was later voided by the Supreme Court due to technical questions. However, this latest impeachment vote has raised concerns about the stability of the country’s government amid ongoing political turmoil and economic uncertainty.

The change in leadership in the Philippine Senate has also led to a shift in power dynamics, with Senator Alan Cayetano being elected as president shortly before the House impeached Duterte. Ousted Senate President Vicente Sotto attributed his removal to the impeachment of Duterte, while Cayetano denied this claim, stating that the impeachment is “enshrined in the Constitution”.

Source: Al Jazeera