Impeachment bid vs. VP Sara Duterte

The House of Representatives officially impeached Vice President Sara Duterte in February, with over one-third of lawmakers from the lower House endorsing the complaint against her.

Months later, the Supreme Court (SC) blocked the impeachment trial, ruling that the House impeachment complaint against Duterte is barred by the one-year ban rule under Article 11, Section 3(5) of the 1987 Constitution.

It also ruled that the Articles of Impeachment violated her right to due process.

Lawmakers, however, said they will exhaust all legal remedies available.

Here's an overview of the impeachment efforts against the 15th Vice President of the Philippines:

December 2, 2024 — Civil society organizations, religious leaders, sectoral representatives, and families of victims of extrajudicial killings filed the first impeachment complaint against Duterte. It was endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña.

The complaint stemmed from Duterte’s alleged culpable violations of the 1987 Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

December 4, 2024 — Two days later, more than 70 individuals from various sectors filed the second impeachment complaint against Duterte, which was endorsed by House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, Gabriela Women's party-list Representative Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel.

The complainants argued that Duterte betrayed public trust by her “abuse of discretionary powers” over confidential funds, her disregard for transparency and accountability, and her dereliction of duty over her willful refusal to recognize Congressional oversight during budget deliberations.

December 9, 2024 — Duterte said she welcomed the filing of impeachment complaints against her because only she is the subject of the supposed attacks, which do not include her former and current colleagues at the OVP and DepEd.

The Vice President said that this would also provide her the opportunity to finally answer allegations against her.

December 19, 2024 — A third impeachment complaint was filed against Duterte by religious groups, priests, and lawyers for alleged betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, among others, over alleged misuse of at least P612 million worth of confidential funds.

The complaint was endorsed by Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado and House Deputy Minority Leader and AAMBIS-OWA party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Colada.

December 25, 2024 — Duterte said her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, will be one of her lawyers for the three impeachment complaints she is facing.

January 8, 2025 — House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro, former Bayan Muna party-list Representative Teddy Casiño, ex-Gabriela party-list Representative Liza Maza, among others, called on members of Congress to impeach Duterte within the year.

January 10, 2025 — House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed that the three pending impeachment complaints against Duterte have all been verified, with a fourth one possibly in the pipeline.

January 13, 2025 — The Iglesia Ni Cristo held a massive National Rally for Peace, drawing 1.5 million people, to support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s stance against impeaching Duterte.

January 14, 2025 — Following the INC rally, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that Marcos’ position on the impeachment move in the House of Representatives has not changed.

January 17, 2025 — Marcos stressed that this is not the right time to undertake an impeachment process. The President earlier expressed belief that the impeachment process will not benefit the lives of Filipinos.

January 24, 2025 — Bersamin said Marcos is not blocking any impeachment attempt against Duterte, in response to the claim of Makabayan bloc that the President was deliberately blocking the impeachment moves.

February 3, 2025 —  Velasco said he will transmit the three impeachment complaints filed against Duterte to the Office of the Speaker.

February 5, 2025 — Senate Secretary Renato Bantug instructed the staff members of the Senate Public Information Bureau (PRIB) to prepare for the possible receipt of the impeachment complaint against Duterte.

However, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the chamber is not preparing for “anything regarding impeachment.”

Later in the afternoon, Velasco confirmed that at least 153 lawmakers in the House of Representatives have signed a fourth impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

Hours later, the House impeached Vice President Sara Duterte after 215 members endorsed a fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte.

February 15, 2025 — A lawyer asked the SC to compel the Senate to “immediately” convene as an impeachment court and begin Duterte’s trial.

February 18, 2025 — Duterte and several lawyers from Mindanao filed separate petitions with the SC challenging the validity and constitutionality of the fourth impeachment complaint against her.

They asked the High Court to issue a TRO as well as to declare the Articles of Impeachment null and void.

February 27, 2025 — Escudero released the initial timetable for the procedures of the trial, setting the tentative start of the trial on July 30.

June 9, 2025 — Senator Robin Padilla filed a resolution seeking to declare the impeachment proceedings as terminated.

June 10, 2025 — Senators convened as the impeachment court in Duterte’s trial.

The same day, the impeachment court voted to return to the House of Representatives the Articles of Impeachment. It was approved with 18 affirmative, five negative votes, and zero abstentions.

The negative votes came from Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Senators Grace Poe, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Nancy Binay.

Those who voted yes were Escudero, Dela Rosa, Padilla, Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, Sen. Imee Marcos, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Sen. Mark Villar, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. JV Ejercito, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., Sen. Joel Villanueva, Sen. Lito Lapid, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Loren Legarda, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri.

July 11, 2025 — The SC required the Senate and the House to comment and submit the following information regarding the impeachment trial of Duterte:

• The status of the first three impeachment complaints filed against Duterte
• The exact dates these were endorsed
• Whether the House Secretary General possesses discretion on when to transmit these to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
• Provide the basis and authority of the House Secretary General to refuse the transmittal of the complaints

It also consolidated the petitions filed by Duterte and the lawyers against her trial. 

July 16, 2025 — The Senate said it has filed a Manifestation Ad Cautelam to the SC, where it said that it informed the Court that it “currently lacks sufficient knowledge or access to the specific information requested."

July 19, 2025 — The House said it submitted the additional information sought by the Supreme Court.

July 25, 2025 — the SC declared the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional. It said that the Senate cannot acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings.

However, the SC said that it is not “absolving” Duterte from any of the charges.

According to the Court, any subsequent impeachment complaint against Duterte may only be filed starting February 6, 2026. — RSJ/LDF, GMA Integrated News