MANILA — The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte began on July 6, 2026, in Manila. Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian formally opened the proceedings by declaring, "The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is hereby declared open and called to order."

The trial marks the first impeachment trial of a vice president in the Philippines. It is also the first impeachment trial of any public officer in the country in 14 years. Duterte did not attend the opening session and was instead represented by her legal counsel.

Duterte faces accusations of misuse of public funds, amassing unexplained wealth, and threatening the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. She denies all wrongdoing and has characterized the impeachment as politically motivated. In a statement, she claimed that she "merely exercised constitutionally protected speech in opposition to the policies, conduct, actuations, and overreach of the current administration."

Duterte further asserted that the articles of impeachment submitted by the House "suffer from fatal constitutional, procedural, and substantive defects." Her legal team emphasized their readiness to contest the charges. "Choosing to appear through counsel rather than testify personally does not diminish accountability or imply a lack of transparency," Duterte said.

More than 6,000 police officers were deployed to secure the Senate building in Manila ahead of the trial's opening. A conviction would require the support of at least 16 of the Senate's 24 members and would result in Duterte's removal from office and permanent disqualification from holding any public office.

Congressman Robert "Ace" Barbers, who supported the impeachment, stated, "We will let the evidence speak for itself." The trial unfolds despite the fact that Duterte and President Marcos ran on a joint ticket in the 2022 election. Marcos is constitutionally barred from seeking a second presidential term.

Why It Matters

Former President Rodrigo Duterte is in The Hague awaiting trial on murder charges linked to his "war on drugs." He was arrested and transferred to International Criminal Court custody in March 2025.