MANILA — The House of Representatives on Monday, May 11, 2026, voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time, making her the first Philippine official in history to be impeached twice. The articles of impeachment have been formally transmitted to the Senate, which will now conduct a trial to determine whether she should be removed from office.
The vote came amid a dramatic day in Philippine politics, with simultaneous shifts in Senate leadership that could shape the dynamics of the upcoming trial. The charges against the Vice President span culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.
House Votes 257–25–9, Far Exceeding Constitutional Threshold
Lawmakers cast 257 votes in favor of impeachment, 25 against, and 9 abstentions — a margin that far surpassed the 106 votes required under the 1987 Constitution, equivalent to one-third of the total House membership.
The tally also exceeded the 215 House members who signed Vice President Duterte's first impeachment complaint in 2025, underscoring the broadening political opposition to the second-highest official in the country. The overwhelming majority reflects a significant consolidation of House support against the Vice President since the earlier failed effort.
Under the Philippine Constitution, the House of Representatives has the exclusive power to initiate impeachment proceedings. Once the articles are transmitted to the Senate, the upper chamber acts as the impeachment court and conducts the full trial.
Five Categories of Charges Filed Against Duterte
The articles of impeachment filed against Vice President Sara Duterte cover five broad categories of offenses: culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.
Specific allegations include the misuse of confidential government funds, failure to disclose her wealth as required by law, and bribery. The complaints also include charges in connection with alleged death threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Two violations of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust are specifically cited in relation to her handling of public office and her obligations under Philippine law regarding financial disclosure.
₱6.7 Billion in Bank Transactions at Center of Wealth Disclosure Charges
During her sponsorship speech on the House floor, House Justice Committee Chairperson and Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro highlighted what she described as serious financial irregularities involving the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio.
According to Representative Luistro, the Vice President must account for ₱6.7 billion in bank transactions involving both her and her husband, which were allegedly not declared in their joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) filing. The SALN is a legally mandated document that public officials in the Philippines are required to submit annually, disclosing all assets, liabilities, and net worth.
The impeachment complaint also cites private bank transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) totaling more than $110 million. These figures form a central part of the graft and corruption charges contained in the articles of impeachment.
First Impeachment Was Voided by the Supreme Court in 2025
This is not the first time the House has moved to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. In 2025, the House of Representatives voted to impeach her with 215 affirmative votes in what was, at the time, a historic action against a sitting Vice President.
However, the Supreme Court subsequently declared that first impeachment void, ruling it unconstitutional. The High Tribunal's ruling effectively nullified the 2025 proceedings and prevented the Senate from conducting a trial at that time.
Monday's vote marks the House's renewed attempt to hold Duterte accountable through the constitutional impeachment process, this time with an even larger majority and, lawmakers argue, a legally sound set of articles of impeachment.
Senate Leadership Shifts to Duterte Allies Hours Before Impeachment Vote
In a significant development that occurred on the same day as the impeachment vote, allies of Vice President Sara Duterte seized control of the Senate leadership on Monday, May 11, 2026, just hours before the House cast its historic ballots.
A majority of senators backed the leadership change in the upper chamber, resulting in the installation of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate President. The shift gives Duterte's political allies control over the very chamber that will now serve as the impeachment court for her trial.
The timing of the leadership change is expected to have significant implications for how the Senate trial is structured, managed, and ultimately decided. Political analysts note that the composition and leadership of the Senate court could influence procedural rulings, the admission of evidence, and the pace of proceedings.
Two-Thirds Senate Vote Needed to Remove Duterte from Office
With the articles of impeachment now formally transmitted to the Senate, the upper chamber will convene as an impeachment court to hear and try the charges against Vice President Sara Duterte. The trial process is expected to be lengthy and legally complex, given the volume and nature of the charges filed.
Under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, a conviction requires the concurrence of two-thirds of all Senate members. Should the Senate vote to convict, Duterte would be removed from office and permanently disqualified from holding any public office in the Philippines.
Such an outcome would carry substantial political consequences well beyond the current administration. Vice President Duterte has been widely considered a leading contender for the 2028 presidential election. A conviction and subsequent disqualification would remove her from that race entirely, reshaping the political landscape ahead of the next national elections.
Conversely, an acquittal — or a failure to secure the required two-thirds majority — would allow her to remain in office and continue her political ambitions. Given that Duterte's allies now control the Senate leadership, the path to conviction is considered uncertain by political observers.
Duterte Becomes First Philippine Official Impeached Twice
Monday's vote places Vice President Sara Duterte in an unprecedented position in Philippine political history. No other official in the country has ever been impeached twice by the House of Representatives, making her case a landmark moment in the nation's constitutional and democratic governance.
The Philippine impeachment process, established under the 1987 Constitution ratified following the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, has been invoked against several high-profile officials over the decades, including former Presidents and Chief Justices. However, Monday's second impeachment of a sitting Vice President represents a new chapter in the application of this constitutional mechanism.
As of Monday, May 11, 2026, no date has been announced for the start of the Senate impeachment trial. Senate procedural rules and the newly installed leadership under Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano will govern the scheduling and conduct of proceedings in the weeks and months ahead.
Photo credit: Photo from the House of Representatives of the Philippines