The Philippine Senate has convened as an impeachment court and scheduled a trial for Vice President Sara Duterte, set to begin on July 6. The proceedings follow a vote by the House of Representatives to impeach Duterte on charges including betrayal of public trust, stemming from allegations of misuse of government funds.
Under Philippine law, the House of Representatives holds the power to initiate impeachment complaints, while the Senate is responsible for conducting the trial and rendering a verdict of acquittal or conviction.
The articles of impeachment, transmitted from the House, list several allegations against the Vice President. These include the reported misuse of confidential funds, the accumulation of unexplained wealth, and alleged involvement in a plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Senate has given Duterte until the first week of June to formally respond to these charges.
This is the second time the House of Representatives has voted to impeach Duterte. A previous impeachment attempt in February 2025 did not proceed to a trial after the Senate returned the complaint to the House, and the Supreme Court later nullified it, citing procedural issues. Current law requires a one-year period before a new impeachment complaint can be filed against the same official. The most recent impeachment vote in the House took place in May 2026.
The Senate has scheduled the trial to proceed even after the Philippine Congress adjourns its sessions on June 3. The timeline for the trial is estimated by officials to last between two and six months, during which both the prosecution team from the House and Duterte’s defense will present their cases.
The structure of the trial will be determined by the Senate’s internal rules. Discussions regarding procedural matters, such as rules for evidence presentation and voting, are expected to take place as the trial date approaches.
In addition to the impeachment proceedings, Duterte is facing separate plunder complaints filed with the Office of the Ombudsman. These legal challenges occur as her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is the subject of an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to the anti-drug campaign conducted during his administration.
The Senate will oversee the trial proceedings, with senators acting as jurors to decide the outcome based on the evidence presented.
