MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-five members of the House of Representatives voted against the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte during the chamber's plenary session on Monday, May 11, 2026, as the House overwhelmingly approved the impeachment complaint for the second time.
The final tally stood at 257 in favor, 25 against, and nine abstentions, according to ABS-CBN News. The result sends the impeachment case to the Senate, which will convene as an impeachment court to conduct the trial.
Duterte has denied the allegations raised against her in the impeachment proceedings. If convicted by the Senate, she faces removal from office and a permanent ban from holding any public position, according to Reuters.
The 25 Representatives Who Voted Against Impeachment
According to a list published by Politiko, the following district and party-list representatives cast a "No" vote during the May 11 plenary session:
- Bohol Rep. Maria Vanessa "Vanvan" Aumentado
- General Santos City Rep. Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles
- Cavite Rep. Francisco "Kiko" Barzaga
- Agusan del Norte Rep. Dale Corvera
- Davao Oriental Rep. Nelson "JR" Dayanghirang
- Cebu Rep. Rachel Marguerite Del Mar
- PPP Party-list Rep. Harold Duterte
- Davao City Rep. Omar Duterte
- Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte
- Cebu Rep. Karen Hope Garcia
- Laguna Rep. Ramil Hernandez
- Batangas Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste
- South Cotabato Rep. Isidro Lumayag
- SSS-GSIS Party-list Rep. Rolando Macasaet
- SAGIP Party-list Rep. Paolo Marcoleta
- Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado
- BH Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal
- Bukidnon Rep. Laarni Roque
- Cebu Rep. Sun Shimura
- Ako Ilocano Ako Party-list Rep. Richelle Singson
- Quezon City Rep. Jesus "Bong" Suntay
- Bohol Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor
- Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab
- Malasakit at Bayanihan Foundation Party-list Rep. Girlie Veloso
- Nueva Ecija Rep. Julius Cesar Vergara
Among those who voted against impeachment, several bear the Duterte surname or represent constituencies in the Davao region, historically a political base of the Duterte family. Three Davao City representatives — Omar Duterte, Paolo Duterte, and Isidro Ungab — were among those opposed.
Composition of the Dissenting Bloc
The 25 lawmakers who voted "No" represent a mix of district representatives and party-list members. District representatives came from provinces and cities including Bohol, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu, Bukidnon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Agusan del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao City, General Santos City, Quezon City, and Nueva Ecija.
Party-list representatives from PPP, SSS-GSIS, SAGIP, BH, Ako Ilocano Ako, and Malasakit at Bayanihan Foundation also joined the dissenting bloc, according to Politiko's published record of the vote.
Nine lawmakers abstained from voting, though their identities were not specified in reports available at the time of publication.
House Approves Impeachment for the Second Time
The May 11 vote marks the second time the House of Representatives has voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. Under the Philippine Constitution, the House has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment, while the Senate serves as the impeachment court.
A conviction in the Senate requires a vote of two-thirds of all Senate members. The Philippine Senate is composed of 24 senators, meaning a conviction would require the affirmative vote of at least 16 senators.
The Senate is expected to convene as an impeachment court following the formal transmittal of the articles of impeachment from the House. The timeline for the start of the Senate trial had not been formally announced as of the date of this report.
Duterte Denies Impeachment Allegations
Vice President Sara Duterte has denied the allegations underpinning the impeachment complaint, according to Reuters. The specific charges cited in the articles of impeachment were not detailed in the source reports available at the time of this writing.
Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte and previously served as Mayor of Davao City before winning the vice presidency in the 2022 national elections. She ran on a tandem ticket with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., though the alliance between the two political families publicly deteriorated in the period leading up to the impeachment proceedings.
Consequences if the Senate Convicts
Under Philippine law, a conviction by the Senate in an impeachment trial carries severe consequences. The Vice President, if found guilty, would be removed from office immediately upon the Senate's decision.
Furthermore, the Senate may also impose the additional penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding any public office in the Philippines, according to Reuters. This would effectively end Duterte's political career, barring any successful legal challenge before the Supreme Court.
The Philippines has seen several high-profile impeachment trials in its recent history, including that of former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012, who was convicted and removed from office by the Senate.
Senate Trial Is the Next Constitutional Step
With the House vote concluded, the case now formally moves to the upper chamber. The Senate will sit as an impeachment court, with the Senate President presiding over the proceedings, as provided under the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Both the prosecution panel — drawn from among the House members who voted in favor of impeachment — and the defense team representing Vice President Duterte are expected to present their respective arguments and evidence during the trial.
The duration of an impeachment trial in the Senate is not fixed under existing rules and may extend over several weeks or months depending on the volume of evidence and the number of witnesses called by either side.
As of Tuesday, May 12, 2026, no official schedule for the start of Senate impeachment proceedings had been publicly announced, based on reports from ABS-CBN News and Reuters.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of ABS-CBN News