The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte officially began on Monday, July 6, 2026, in a legal process that could determine her political future and her chances of running for president in the 2028 Philippine presidential election. The case was reported by The Guardian on Monday, July 6, 2026.
According to The Guardian, Sara Duterte is the daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on allegations of crimes against humanity.
Sara Duterte herself faces several serious allegations, including the misuse of public funds, possession of unexplained wealth, bribery of public officials, and making threats against the life of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife. She has previously denied all of the allegations.
This is not the first time Sara Duterte has faced impeachment proceedings. Last year, she was impeached on similar allegations but avoided trial after filing a petition with the Philippine Supreme Court, which ruled that the impeachment process was invalid due to procedural technicalities.
In May 2026, the Philippine House of Representatives impeached her again, and the Senate will now determine whether the case should proceed to a full impeachment trial.
A Politically Significant Trial
The proceedings are widely regarded as highly significant politically. If found guilty, Sara Duterte would be permanently barred from holding any public office, automatically preventing her from running for president in 2028.
Sara is currently regarded as one of the leading contenders in the upcoming presidential election.
More than 6,000 police officers, including riot control units, were reportedly deployed to secure the Senate building on Monday, as both supporters and opponents of Sara Duterte were expected to gather at the site.
Many observers view the case as part of the ongoing political rivalry between the Duterte and Marcos families.
The two political dynasties were once allies when Sara Duterte ran as Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vice-presidential running mate in the 2022 election, which they won by a landslide. However, their alliance later collapsed, with Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and his proceedings before the International Criminal Court becoming one of the most contentious issues in the dispute.
A large majority in the House of Representatives, dominated by Marcos allies, voted to send Sara Duterte’s impeachment case to the Senate for trial.
Allegations and Senate Vote
The charges against Sara Duterte include alleged misuse of funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President, discrepancies in financial reports, bribery, and cash payments to public officials.
Another allegation concerns threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the First Lady during a press conference in November 2024. Sara Duterte later claimed that her remarks had been misinterpreted.
A conviction requires the support of two-thirds of the Senate.
Maria Ela Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, said that given the current composition of the Senate, there is roughly a 50-50 chance that Sara Duterte could be convicted.
The impeachment proceedings are expected to continue for several months. To date, no Philippine politician has ever been convicted through the country’s impeachment process.***
