On May 11, 2026, the Philippine House of Representatives voted 257 to 9 to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, making her the first official in Philippine history to be impeached twice. The charges include violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, bribery, unexplained wealth, and misuse of confidential funds from her time as Vice President and Secretary of Education.
The case focuses on serious financial allegations. Bank accounts linked to Duterte moved approximately 6.77 billion pesos in transactions, and the Anti-Money Laundering Council flagged over 110 million dollars in private bank movements. She also faces accusations of making death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
However, the timing is significant. Hours before the House voted, the Senate elected Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President, replacing Vicente Sotto III. Cayetano is a long-time ally of the Duterte family and served as foreign secretary under Duterte's father, Rodrigo Duterte, who currently sits in International Criminal Court custody.
The Senate will now hold Duterte's trial, but her opponents need 16 of 24 senators to convict and remove her. With Cayetano, a Duterte ally, leading the chamber, reaching that two-thirds majority appears difficult. A conviction would bar her from running in the 2028 presidential election, where she was previously considered a leading candidate. Duterte remained in Europe during the votes, visiting her father at The Hague.