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House Moves Forward With Impeachment Complaints Against Vice President Sara Duterte
Photo credit: Congress PH
The House of Representatives has formally initiated impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, taking a significant step in a high-stakes political development. On Monday, February 23, 2026, all four impeachment complaints filed against her were included in the plenary’s Order of Business and referred to the House Committee on Justice, effectively starting the process under constitutional rules.
Constitutional One-Year Bar Triggered
With the complaints now under committee review, the 1987 Constitution’s one-year bar on filing new impeachment complaints against Duterte is activated. This safeguard prevents overlapping or repeated impeachment petitions within a short period.
Allegations in the Complaints
The four complaints allege a mix of serious issues:
• Misuse of public funds, including alleged irregular disbursements of at least ₱612.5 million during her tenure as Vice President and as Department of Education Secretary.
• Unexplained wealth and possible false entries in official documents.
• Alleged acts of betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.
The complaints will now be scrutinized by the Justice Committee to determine if they are sufficient in form and substance to proceed to further action.
Next Steps in the Impeachment Process
If at least one complaint passes the committee’s review, the panel could recommend articles of impeachment to the full House of Representatives. Approval by one-third of all members would then send the articles to the Senate, which would conduct a trial — the final stage in the constitutional impeachment process.
Political Context
This is not the first impeachment challenge against Vice President Duterte. A similar effort last year was dismissed when the Supreme Court ruled the earlier complaints unconstitutional due to procedural timing issues, reinforcing the strict constitutional criteria required for impeachment.
Supporters of the current complaints say they hope to gain sufficient backing in the House if the Justice Committee finds probable cause, though observers caution that political dynamics in the chamber remain complex.
For now, all eyes are on the House Committee on Justice, where the next phase of this unfolding political drama will determine whether impeachment proceedings move forward or stall in the early stages.
Constitutional One-Year Bar Triggered
With the complaints now under committee review, the 1987 Constitution’s one-year bar on filing new impeachment complaints against Duterte is activated. This safeguard prevents overlapping or repeated impeachment petitions within a short period.
Allegations in the Complaints
The four complaints allege a mix of serious issues:
• Misuse of public funds, including alleged irregular disbursements of at least ₱612.5 million during her tenure as Vice President and as Department of Education Secretary.
• Unexplained wealth and possible false entries in official documents.
• Alleged acts of betrayal of public trust and other high crimes.
The complaints will now be scrutinized by the Justice Committee to determine if they are sufficient in form and substance to proceed to further action.
Next Steps in the Impeachment Process
If at least one complaint passes the committee’s review, the panel could recommend articles of impeachment to the full House of Representatives. Approval by one-third of all members would then send the articles to the Senate, which would conduct a trial — the final stage in the constitutional impeachment process.
Political Context
This is not the first impeachment challenge against Vice President Duterte. A similar effort last year was dismissed when the Supreme Court ruled the earlier complaints unconstitutional due to procedural timing issues, reinforcing the strict constitutional criteria required for impeachment.
Supporters of the current complaints say they hope to gain sufficient backing in the House if the Justice Committee finds probable cause, though observers caution that political dynamics in the chamber remain complex.
For now, all eyes are on the House Committee on Justice, where the next phase of this unfolding political drama will determine whether impeachment proceedings move forward or stall in the early stages.
Feb 23, 2026
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