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From Alliance To Animosity: The Impeachment Saga Of Sara Duterte
Photo credit: Sara Duterte
MANILA — Three years ago, Sara Duterte stood onstage as the newly elected vice president, basking in the glow of a historic landslide victory alongside President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. They promised unity and strength, their political families bound by power and ambition. Today, that alliance lies in ruins.
On February 5, the House of Representatives made history by impeaching Duterte — the first vice president in Philippine history to suffer such a fate. Just two days later, she faced the media with a solemn message that echoed the gravity of the moment: “God save the Philippines.”
The impeachment marks the culmination of months of political maneuvering, legal battles, and explosive allegations — from corruption to betrayal of public trust, even an alleged plot to assassinate the President and his family. What started as whispers in December 2024 erupted into a constitutional crisis that has dominated the nation’s attention.
A Rapid Fall from Power
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte with an overwhelming 215 votes out of 306. The 44-page complaint accused her of violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. It also alleged that she hid unexplained wealth, misused over ₱612 million in confidential funds, and even plotted the assassination of President Marcos and his family. Old wounds were reopened, including accusations of extrajudicial killings during her tenure as mayor of Davao City.
The move shocked the nation. Duterte, once considered a strong contender for the 2028 presidential race, suddenly faced the fight of her political life. At her February 7 press conference, she avoided confirming whether she would resign or run in the next presidential elections, offering only one line that resonated across social media: “Ang tanging masasabi ko ay: God save the Philippines.”
How It All Began
The road to impeachment started in December 2024 when civil society groups, religious leaders, and families of extrajudicial killing victims during her father Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war filed the first complaint. Progressive lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc endorsed it, setting off a political storm.
On December 2, the first complaint was endorsed by progressive lawmakers. Two days later, at least 70 more representatives joined the move. By December 9, Duterte responded, saying impeachment would be the proper channel to address allegations. A second complaint was filed on December 19 over confidential fund misuse. On December 25, it was revealed that former President Rodrigo Duterte would be part of his daughter’s legal defense team.
By January 2025, tension escalated further. The religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo held a National Rally for Peace to support President Marcos’ stance against impeachment. Despite this, momentum against Duterte grew stronger. On February 3, three impeachment complaints were transmitted to the Speaker’s office. Two days later, a fourth consolidated complaint was filed and endorsed by 215 House members, including presidential son and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.
House rules were bypassed, skipping committee hearings and sending the case straight to the Senate. For the first time ever, a Philippine vice president would face an impeachment trial.
The Senate Showdown That Never Happened
The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, needed 16 out of 24 votes to convict Duterte, removing her from office and barring her from future positions. But the trial never went as planned.
On June 10, in a tense late-night session, senators voted 18-5 to halt the proceedings. They demanded that the House first prove constitutional compliance, specifically that the one-year rule on multiple impeachment filings was not violated. The motion, introduced by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and amended from an earlier bid by Senator Ronald dela Rosa to junk the case entirely, effectively froze the trial.
The five senators who opposed the delay — Koko Pimentel, Risa Hontiveros, Sherwin Gatchalian, Grace Poe, and Nancy Binay — warned that the move created ambiguity and risked derailing the case. Senate President Francis Escudero admitted the impeachment would likely carry over to the 20th Congress.
The Supreme Court Ends It All
On July 26, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision declaring the impeachment unconstitutional. The justices ruled that the House violated the one-year bar on initiating multiple impeachment proceedings and failed to observe due process. The ruling invalidated all actions taken by both chambers and barred any new impeachment complaint against Duterte until February 2026.
Justice Marvic Leonen, writing for the Court, stressed: “The end does not justify the means. There is a right way to do the right thing at the right time.”
The decision not only killed the impeachment but also voided the Senate’s role as an impeachment court. However, the ruling clarified that Duterte is not absolved of the allegations and remains subject to possible criminal cases in the future.
What Lies Ahead
Sara Duterte remains vice president, but her once formidable political standing has been shaken to its core. The impeachment battle exposed deep cracks in the Marcos-Duterte alliance and left Philippine politics polarized ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
Whether Duterte can recover and mount a presidential run in 2028 is uncertain. For now, she survives — wounded but still standing. And as she herself said on that fateful February day, “God save the Philippines.”
On February 5, the House of Representatives made history by impeaching Duterte — the first vice president in Philippine history to suffer such a fate. Just two days later, she faced the media with a solemn message that echoed the gravity of the moment: “God save the Philippines.”
The impeachment marks the culmination of months of political maneuvering, legal battles, and explosive allegations — from corruption to betrayal of public trust, even an alleged plot to assassinate the President and his family. What started as whispers in December 2024 erupted into a constitutional crisis that has dominated the nation’s attention.
A Rapid Fall from Power
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte with an overwhelming 215 votes out of 306. The 44-page complaint accused her of violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. It also alleged that she hid unexplained wealth, misused over ₱612 million in confidential funds, and even plotted the assassination of President Marcos and his family. Old wounds were reopened, including accusations of extrajudicial killings during her tenure as mayor of Davao City.
The move shocked the nation. Duterte, once considered a strong contender for the 2028 presidential race, suddenly faced the fight of her political life. At her February 7 press conference, she avoided confirming whether she would resign or run in the next presidential elections, offering only one line that resonated across social media: “Ang tanging masasabi ko ay: God save the Philippines.”
How It All Began
The road to impeachment started in December 2024 when civil society groups, religious leaders, and families of extrajudicial killing victims during her father Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war filed the first complaint. Progressive lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc endorsed it, setting off a political storm.
On December 2, the first complaint was endorsed by progressive lawmakers. Two days later, at least 70 more representatives joined the move. By December 9, Duterte responded, saying impeachment would be the proper channel to address allegations. A second complaint was filed on December 19 over confidential fund misuse. On December 25, it was revealed that former President Rodrigo Duterte would be part of his daughter’s legal defense team.
By January 2025, tension escalated further. The religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo held a National Rally for Peace to support President Marcos’ stance against impeachment. Despite this, momentum against Duterte grew stronger. On February 3, three impeachment complaints were transmitted to the Speaker’s office. Two days later, a fourth consolidated complaint was filed and endorsed by 215 House members, including presidential son and Senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos.
House rules were bypassed, skipping committee hearings and sending the case straight to the Senate. For the first time ever, a Philippine vice president would face an impeachment trial.
The Senate Showdown That Never Happened
The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, needed 16 out of 24 votes to convict Duterte, removing her from office and barring her from future positions. But the trial never went as planned.
On June 10, in a tense late-night session, senators voted 18-5 to halt the proceedings. They demanded that the House first prove constitutional compliance, specifically that the one-year rule on multiple impeachment filings was not violated. The motion, introduced by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and amended from an earlier bid by Senator Ronald dela Rosa to junk the case entirely, effectively froze the trial.
The five senators who opposed the delay — Koko Pimentel, Risa Hontiveros, Sherwin Gatchalian, Grace Poe, and Nancy Binay — warned that the move created ambiguity and risked derailing the case. Senate President Francis Escudero admitted the impeachment would likely carry over to the 20th Congress.
The Supreme Court Ends It All
On July 26, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision declaring the impeachment unconstitutional. The justices ruled that the House violated the one-year bar on initiating multiple impeachment proceedings and failed to observe due process. The ruling invalidated all actions taken by both chambers and barred any new impeachment complaint against Duterte until February 2026.
Justice Marvic Leonen, writing for the Court, stressed: “The end does not justify the means. There is a right way to do the right thing at the right time.”
The decision not only killed the impeachment but also voided the Senate’s role as an impeachment court. However, the ruling clarified that Duterte is not absolved of the allegations and remains subject to possible criminal cases in the future.
What Lies Ahead
Sara Duterte remains vice president, but her once formidable political standing has been shaken to its core. The impeachment battle exposed deep cracks in the Marcos-Duterte alliance and left Philippine politics polarized ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
Whether Duterte can recover and mount a presidential run in 2028 is uncertain. For now, she survives — wounded but still standing. And as she herself said on that fateful February day, “God save the Philippines.”
Sep 7, 2025
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