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215 Philippine legislators ready to back VP Sara Duterte impeachment, House leader says
Khaleej Times sources in the Philippine House of Representatives said as many signatures as last year’s impeachment have already been gathered even before the scheduled plenary debates on Monday
- PUBLISHED: Thu 7 May 2026, 2:41 PM
As many as 215 Philippine legislators have already signified their intention to sign the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte as of Thursday, subjecting her to a full trial by the Senate.
Khaleej Times sources in the Philippine House of Representatives (HoR) confirmed that as many signatures as last year’s impeachment have already been gathered even before the scheduled plenary debates on Monday.
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The number had also been confirmed to Khaleej Times by Rep. Terry Ridon, one of the most active discussants in the eight Committee on Justice (CoJ) hearings on impeachment complaints against the Vice President.
“Around 215 votes are already in. The number is from ongoing consultations [among HoR members]," Ridon assured.
Different party whips also revealed that majority of their members have signified their intention to approve the articles of impeachment. Lakas Party Zia Alonto Adiong said that 60 out of their 69 members are on the list, while National Unification Party leader Ronnie Puno said that 30 out of their 55 members are affirmative, and Party-list Coalition Foundation leader Jude Acidre said that 47 representatives have so far said yes to impeaching Duterte.
Only 106 required
The number (215) surpasses the minimum number of 106 required to impeach Duterte for the second straight year; 215 is 67.61 per cent of the 318-member HoR.
Based on last year’s procedure, any HoR member may move to do away with the plenary debates and send the articles of impeachment straight to the Senate.
Duterte-allied legislators are expected to object and drag the process to a lengthy debate. But they are likely to fail given that they number less than a dozen at the moment.
Bribery allegations
Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos, sister to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., alleged that members of the CoJ were bribed into voting to approve its resolution finding grounds to impeach the vice president.
Ridon was quick to deny the allegation, quipping: “Is she a member of the committee? Without proof, she is merely peddling lies.”
Duterte, who is at The Hague, waxed fatalistic, invoking God’s will on her impeachment troubles.
“Everything that happens in the life of a person is written by God,” Duterte said outside the International Criminal Court Detention Center after visiting her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
She added that she did not want to become president anyway and is not fixated on becoming one.
Duterte, however, was quick to announce her candidacy in the next Philippine presidential elections in 2028 at the start of the impeachment proceedings against her at the HoR.