Philippines’ vice president Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on the last session day before adjournment. On February 5, the majority of lawmakers, 215, endorsed the impeachment complaints against Duterte on the grounds of betrayal of public trust, culpable violations against the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes.

Among the complaints are Duterte’s admission that she contracted an assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as the misuse and malversation of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.

Duterte is also being accused of amassing wealth without legitimate justification, a violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and engaging in activities that aim to undermine the government, including acts of sedition and insurrection.

The totality of the alleged offenses constitutes a severe breach of public trust, violations of the 1987 Constitution, and corrupt practices.

As of this writing, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco has already submitted an official copy of the impeachment complaint to the Senate.  

Unlike with the case of the presidency, there is no automatic succession to the office of the vice president. If Duterte is removed from office, Marcos can appoint a new vice president who must be approved by a majority vote of Congress, with the House and the Senate voting jointly.

Senate President Francis Escudero announced that the impeachment proceedings will proceed even during the session break.

“This is not a congressional session where the House of Representatives also needs to convene. The impeachment proceedings are a unique process that operates outside the ordinary legislative session,” he said.

Duterte’s brother, Davao City’s representative Paolo Duterte, said the impeachment is politically motivated and that the president’s allies went on overdrive to collect signatures and push for the immediate approval and transmittal of the complaint. He called the impeachment “a clear act of political persecution”.

He said in a statement: “The Filipino people will not sit idly by as this government undermines democracy and silences opposition through fabricated accusations. If the Marcos administration thinks it can push this sham impeachment without consequence, they are gravely mistaken. 

“This is not just about VP Sara Duterte — this is about the will of the Filipino people. The growing discontent and frustration across the country will not be contained for long. Mark my words: This reckless abuse of power will not end in their favor.”

In an earlier Social Weather Stations survey commissioned by the research and consultancy group Stratbase, it was revealed that 41 percent of Filipinos support Duterte’s impeachment, while 35 percent are against and 19 percent are undecided.

46 percent of Filipinos believe that the Office of the Vice President’s utilization of confidential and intelligence funds was questionable, and that this is actually the strongest reason to call for Duterte’s impeachment.

Her refusal to answer official queries regarding the funds as well as the unexplained wealth she has amassed as stated in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth are also compelling reasons.

Progressive lawmakers such as Alliance of Concerned Teachers’ representative France Castro, Kabataan (Youth)’s representative Raoul Manuel, and Gabriela Women’s Party’s representative Arlene Brosas, fully supported the complaint to hold Duterte accountable. 

Advocates celebrate the success of the complaint.

Call for vigilance

Human rights advocates and members of progressive organizations celebrated the success of the complaint.

Renato Reyes, Jr, president of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN), the biggest alliance supporting the complaint, said the success of the complaint was a “historic first”.

He said: “The next logical step is for the convening of the impeachment court and to push for genuine accountability via conviction. We will be vigilant and work to ensure that the impeachment trial will be a venue to educate the public on the systemic corruption present in our government. 

“Let the trial expose the abuses in the system of confidential funds. Let the people be active participants, not just mere spectators in the upcoming trial.”

Reyes said it is not true that the people will not benefit from the trial.

“The trial will expose the system of corruption in government which we should all oppose. Filipinos demand full accountability over corruption cases. Impeachment is just one step towards that direction,” he insisted.

Reyes said all eyes now shift to the Senate and the institution should perform its mandate and render the necessary verdict based on evidence presented, and not on political expediency.

The religious community has also spoken, urging Filipinos to monitor the impeachment developments.  Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said social justice issues and public welfare should be prioritized in the proceedings pertaining to Duterte. 

“The impeachment process serves as an essential mechanism in our democracy to maintain accountability among those in power,” said Caritas president Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo. “No leader should be beyond scrutiny, and governance must always serve the common good.”

He added that government officials, civil society, and the general public approach the proceedings “with fairness, integrity, and respect for the rule of law”.

“We must not let political divisions overshadow our primary concern: The welfare of our people. Leadership requires responsible governance, just allocation of resources, and equal access to justice,” he said.

The Senate impeachment trial

Based on Philippine laws, the Senate will act as an impeachment court to conduct the trial against Duterte.  The Senate has the sole authority to try and decide the case, and the senate president will preside while the 23 incumbent senators will serve as jurors. Prosecution from the House and defense for the vice president will present evidence and arguments.

To remove Duterte from office, at least two-thirds of all senators (16) must vote for conviction.

Duterte has announced she will review the official statement and the articles of impeachment.  She said in a television interview that she does not want to make an incomplete or exaggerated response.

All photos credit: Kodao Productions.

Top photo: Advocates celebrate the success of the complaint.