For the first time in Philippine history, a serving vice president became the subject of a Senate impeachment proceeding. Senators opened Sara Duterte's case in Pasay under the leadership of Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
Duterte chose not to attend the opening. Her attorneys appeared in her place. In a public statement, she maintained that proving the accusations was the prosecution's responsibility. She also argued that representation by counsel neither avoided scrutiny nor indicated secrecy.
House prosecutors accuse her of improperly handling confidential government money, possessing wealth that has not been explained and making an assassination threat. The alleged threat concerned President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the president’s wife and a onetime House speaker, and was framed as retaliation if Duterte were killed. She rejects the charges and calls the case harassment for political purposes.
Gerville Luistro, who heads the prosecution, said witness testimony and evidence could justify conviction. Sheila Sison, leading the legal defence, questioned whether the House side had valid proof and cautioned that the constitutional process must not be weaponized. A schedule obtained by the Associated Press envisioned 92 days of proceedings.
Sixteen guilty votes would be needed in the 24-seat chamber. That threshold equals two-thirds of all senators. Conviction would mean removal from the vice presidency and a permanent prohibition on holding government office. It would also prevent Duterte from pursuing her declared 2028 presidential candidacy after Marcos reaches the end of his term.
The Senate's loyalties are finely balanced between politicians associated with Marcos and those close to Duterte. Four people have held its presidency during 2026, with narrow shifts in allegiance deciding those changes. Legal problems affecting several Duterte-aligned senators add uncertainty about participation and voting.
Security preparations were extensive. Authorities assigned more than 6,000 officers, among them public-order units, to the vicinity. Roughly 400 demonstrators opposed to Duterte gathered outside, while her supporters held a separate assembly.
The conflict follows the collapse of an electoral partnership. Marcos and Duterte ran together successfully in 2022, combining two dominant family organizations. Duterte's father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is now detained in The Hague after transfer under an International Criminal Court order. His daughter blames Marcos for facilitating that transfer.
Only two national officials had previously reached a Senate impeachment trial since democratic government returned in 1986. Proceedings against President Joseph Estrada in 2000 ended amid upheaval without judgment. Chief Justice Renato Corona was found guilty and removed in 2012.
Sara Duterte's trial therefore carries institutional as well as electoral consequences. The evidence presents serious allegations and categorical denials, not established guilt. The Senate's task is to evaluate that contested record while intense rivalry and public pressure surround the chamber.
