Philippine House begins impeachment proceedings vs Vice-President Sara

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

THE House of Representatives began impeachment proceedings against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday as it referred four complaints against her to the committee tasked to assess whether the accusations have merit and should advance to a full trial.

Four separate complaints filed by civil groups and activists collectively alleged Ms. Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds allocated to her office and the Education department when she sat as its secretary from 2022 to 2024. The complaints centered on accusations of corruption, unexplained wealth violating the Constitution, and betraying public trust.

The impeachment drive against Ms. Duterte comes as she announced her presidential bid in 2028, where she has emerged as a strong contender based on earlier polls. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is limited to a single six-year term and is yet to name a clear successor amid a bitter political feud with the Dutertes.

The House Justice Committee, dominated by Mr. Marcos’ allies, will decide whether the allegations against the 47-year-old lawyer meet the threshold to advance to the House floor, where one-third of lawmakers must vote to either endorse the complaints and send them to the Senate for trial — where Ms. Duterte risks being permanently barred from office — or dismiss the cases.

Sending the complaints to the committee also blocks other groups from filing separate charges and prevents the Vice-President from facing another impeachment bid within the same calendar year.

Ms. Duterte was impeached in February 2025 with the endorsement of 200 congressmen, allowing the chamber to send the charges directly to the Senate for trial. The ouster bid, however, died in the Senate after it archived the complaints, which accused her of fund misuse, unexplained wealth, destabilization efforts, and plotting to assassinate President Marcos, his wife and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. She has denied all charges.

“It’d be better for the complaints to head the committee,” Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Francisco Paolo P. Ortega V told reporters before the complaints’ referral. “Even the impeachment against the President went through there.”

Mr. Marcos survived an impeachment bid, which accused him of corruption, violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust, after the Justice committee dismissed the allegations as lacking merit. The committee also ruled the allegations should no longer be discussed.

The dismissed complaints alleged that Mr. Marcos had benefited from questionable government contracts linked to defective infrastructure projects, receiving kickbacks and institutionalized corruption through a budget allocation formula for congressional districts.

Additional accusations included his alleged involvement in authorizing the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte for proceedings at the International Criminal Court and claims of the President’s alleged drug use.

Lawmakers are now more politically sensitive to impeachment proceedings against Ms. Duterte, and it remains to be seen whether they will apply the same strict threshold used in the Marcos case, said Ederson DT. Tapia, a political science professor at the University of Makati.

“Much will depend on the strength of the complaints filed and on the prevailing political climate,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “If public pressure intensifies, interpretations may become more flexible.”

“We are all political animals at the end of the day,” said Mr. Ortega, who sponsored a fourth complaint against Ms. Duterte. “They [the committee] will assess the merits of the impeachment case.”

The fourth complaint alleged that the Vice-President failed to fully disclose assets in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth and may have amassed wealth disproportionate to her lawful income.

The case is seeking a forensic review of bank records, property transfers, and other financial documents to determine whether public funds were converted into private assets and whether her declared net worth accurately reflects her financial position.