DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The House of Representatives voted before their adjournment on February 5 for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The impeachment was signed by 215 House members. The impeachment complaint needed one-third votes from its 306 members and it got more than two-thirds.
The impeachment was supported by 41 of the 60 district representatives coming from Mindanao. Duterte is the third vice president hailing from Mindanao (after Emmanuel Pelaez and Teofisto Guingona, Jr.), while her father, Rodrigo Duterte was the first Mindanaoan elected to the presidency.
The grounds for Duterte’s impeachment are acts of graft and corruption on her misuse of public funds, bribery, failure to disclose assets, and conspiracy to commit high crimes.
The vice president was embroiled during last year’s House committee hearings which unearthed the misuse of P612 million worth of confidential funds, as well as allegations of bribery of officials under the Department of Education. Duterte was defiant during these committee hearings, and at one point issued threats against her former ally President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr and his wife First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos.
The impeachment complaint was reportedly based on three earlier complaints raised in the past two months by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Akbayan and a group of religious leaders.
Congress opted for the third option of impeachment which was through a resolution of impeachment filed by at least one-third (1/3) of all members of the House.
Solo vote from Davao region
Only one from Davao Region’s 12 district representatives signed the impeachment, Davao del Sur representative John Tracy Cagas.
Notably, Davao-based PBA Partylist Representative Margarita ‘Migs’ Nograles, who is contesting Davao City’s first district post against Sara’s re-electionist brother Paolo, did not sign the complaint.
The impeachment vote was lauded by the Makabayan bloc, which was responsible for calling out the questionable use of confidential funds in 2023 led by Rep. France Castro from ACT Teachers Partylist.
Duterte’s impeachment from the House “marks a pivotal moment in our nation’s pursuit of accountability and good governance,” says Bayan Muna Partylsit nominee Carlos Isagani Zarate, a long-time human rights lawyer from Davao City.
“This day of reckoning underscores the principle that no high official, regardless of their position, is above the law,” Zarate said.
The House of Representatives brought the articles of impeachment to the Senate on the same date, but the Senate adjourned earlier. Under the Constitution, the Senate must convene as senator-judges to hear the impeachment case, and will either convict or acquit the vice president.
Reports said the Senate will take up the impeachment when it reconvenes on June 2 after the midterm elections.
Distraction
The Hakbang ng Maisug, a coalition organized by the Dutertes, called the impeachment a “distraction” from the issues they are raising against the 2025 budget.
“The Hakbang ng Maisug is also fully aware that this impeachment is part of the cover up and distractions to hide the real ills of our mal-governance, especially the unconstitutional GAA (General Appropriations Act) 2025. We must continue to expose and condemn the massive corruption, the plunder of our coffers, the abuse of power, the repression of our rights, the push for proxy war and other issues,” their statement said.
Duterte’s camp earlier petitioned to the Supreme Court to nullify the 2025 national budget as it contained blank items in some allocations. Congress and Malacañang denied the allegation.
The group also chided House members who did not sign the impeachment, claiming their motives was “for saving themselves from the wrath of the people… it is far from defending the Vice President.”
Sara Duterte is the first vice president, and the fourth national official, to be slapped with an impeachment complaint. If convicted, Duterte will be removed from the vice presidency and will be debarred from running for public office.
List of Mindanao representatives who signed the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte
1. Rep. John Tracy Cagas – Davao Del Sur
2. Rep. Peter Miguel – 2nd Dist South Cotabato
3. Rep. Isidro Lumayag – 1st Dist South Cotabato
4. Rep. Joselito Sacdalan – 1st Dist North Cotabato
5. Rep. Samantha Santos – 3rd Dist North Cotabato
6. Rep. Loreto Acharon – General Santos City
7. Rep. Steve Solon – Sarangani Province
8. Rep. Lordan Suan – 1st Dist Cagayan De Oro City
9. Rep. Christian S. Unabia – 1st Dist Misamis Oriental
10. Rep. Yevgeny Vincente Emano- 2nd Dist Misamis Oriental
11. Rep. Celso Regencia – Iligan City
12. Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores -2nd Dist Bukidnon
13. Rep. Jose Manuel Alba 1st Dist Bukidnon
14. Rep. Laarni Lavine Roque 4th Dist Bukidnon
15. Rep Sittie Aminah Dimaporo 2nd Dist Lanao del Norte
16. Rep. Jason Almonte – 1st Dist Misamis Occidental
17. Rep. Sancho Fernandez Oaminal – 2nd Dist Misamis Occidental
18. Rep. Jurdin Jesus M. Romualdo – Camiguin Island
19. Rep Romeo Momo- 1st Dist Surigao Del Sur
20. Rep. Johnny Pimentel – 2nd Dist Surigao Del Sur
21. Rep. Franciso Jose Matugas II –1st Dist Surigao Del Norte
22. Rep. Ace Barbers – 2nd Dist Surigao Del Norte
23. Rep. Alfelito M. Bascug – 1st Dist Agusan Del Sur
24. Rep. Jose S. Aquino – 1st Dist Agusan Del Norte
25. Rep. Adolph Edward– 2nd Dist Agusan Sur
26. Rep. Alan Ecleo – Dinagat Island
27. Rep. Datu Mohammad Paglas Sr. – Maguindanao Sur
28. Rep. Dimple Mastura – Maguindanao Del Norte
29. Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong – 1st Dist Lanao Del Sur
30. Rep. Yasser Balindong- 2nd Dist Lanao Del Sur
31. Rep. Dimszar Matba Sali – Tawi Tawi
32. Rep. Samier Tan – 1st Dist Sulu
33. Rep. Munir N. Arbison, Jr. – 2nd Dist Sulu
34. Rep. Roberto Uy Jr. – 1st Dist Zamboanga Del Norte
35. Rep. Glona Labadlabad – 2nd Dist Zamboanga Del Norte
36. Rep. Adrian Amatong – 3rd Dist Zamboanga Del Norte
37. Rep. Divina Grace C. Yu – 1st Dist Zamboanga Sur
38. Rep. Jeyzel Victoria C. Yu -2nd Dist Zamboanga Del Sur
39. Rep. Wilter Y. Palma- 1st Dist Zamboang Sibugay
40. Rep Antonieta Eudela 2nd Dist. Zamboanga Sibugay
41. Rep. Manuel Jose Dalipe – 2nd Dist Zamboanga City
impeachment, philippines, sara duterte
