The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte of the Philippines commenced on Monday amid a deepening political rift between two dominant political families in the country. Ms. Duterte, who assumed office in 2022 after running alongside President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., faces allegations of embezzlement and betraying public trust, including accusations that she threatened to assassinate the president.
The case marks a significant deterioration in relations between the Duterte and Marcos political dynasties, which had united to win the 2022 elections. Ms. Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, denied the charges, calling them an attempt to hinder her ambitions to run for the presidency in 2028. Her father, currently detained in The Hague, faces trial on charges of crimes against humanity related to his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
The impeachment process began after the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in May to charge Ms. Duterte, pointing to concerns over unexplained wealth accumulated during her tenure as mayor of Davao from 2019 and as education secretary from 2022 to 2024. Lawmakers also referenced her public statements about plotting against President Marcos. Ms. Duterte’s legal counsel has criticized the proceedings as constitutionally flawed and procedurally inadequate.
This is the second time Ms. Duterte has been impeached on the same grounds. A previous attempt last year was halted after the Senate voted to archive the case, a decision preceded by heated debate over the process’s legality. The Philippine Senate, consisting of 24 members, requires a two-thirds majority to convict and remove a sitting official. Conviction would also bar Ms. Duterte from future public office.
Political dynamics in the Senate have shifted since May when Ms. Duterte’s supporters briefly took control before losing majority influence. These developments have raised the possibility that conviction may be more attainable. Her father’s former police chief, Senator Ronald dela Rosa—himself wanted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the Duterte administration’s drug war—briefly resurfaced from hiding to help orchestrate political maneuvers in the Senate, which culminated in violent incidents including gunfire inside the chamber. He subsequently fled.
The trial underscores a fracturing alliance that formed when Ms. Duterte and Mr. Marcos joined forces in 2022 but has since unraveled amid investigations into her financial dealings and increasing political hostilities. The conflict intensified with the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022. Though President Marcos initially pledged to shield Duterte from prosecution, he ultimately facilitated his transfer to the ICC last year. The former president has dismissed the charges as fabricated by political adversaries.
President Marcos has maintained that he is not involved in his vice president’s impeachment proceedings, distancing himself from the ongoing political turmoil within his administration.