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Philippines VP Duterte impeachment trial begins: What she's accused of and why it matters
A recent survey made by the group Octa Research revealed that 74% to 80% of Filipinos support the Senate trial so she could clear her name while 34% hope for Duterte's conviction
- PUBLISHED: Sun 5 Jul 2026, 3:26 PM UPDATED: Mon 6 Jul 2026, 8:32 AM
The long-awaited impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte starts today, July 6, in the country’ Senate. Both the prosecution panel from the House of Representatives (HOR) and assisting private lawyers, as well as Duterte’s army of defense lawyers, have declared readiness to do battle.
The Filipino people, meanwhile, are themselves ready to behold another public spectacle, a war that is more political than judicial. A recent survey made by the group Octa Research revealed that 74 per cent to 80 per cent of Filipinos support the Senate trial so she could clear her name while 34 per cent hope for her conviction. Meanwhile, 13 to 21 per cent oppose the proceedings, representing her core supporters who want her acquitted.
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Without a doubt, there will be no television and online streaming fare that would be bigger than the trial in the weeks to come in the Philippines.
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What is the vice president accused of?
After several months of public hearings to determine probability of the complaints, VP Duterte had been impeached by the HOR based on four offenses.
She is accused of misuse of public funds reportedly amounting to P612.5 million (Dh37 million) in “confidential and intelligence funds” as vice president and as education secretary. The private complainants and the HOR prosecution accuse her of unexplained wealth for amassing billions of pesos and failing to properly disclose bank transactions and assets.
Duterte is also alleged to have bribed Department of Education (DepEd) personnel and officials in connection with procurement and bidding processes. And Duterte is being prosecuted for threatening the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Public prosecutor and Representative Terry Ridon earlier disclosed that the prosecution is likely to begin with the grave threat offense, citing that the November 23, 2024 video of Duterte admitting talking to an assassin to kill the Marcoses and Romualdez was seen by tens of millions of Filipinos. It will be followed by the prosecution of the confidential funds, DepEd bribery, and unexplained wealth in that order.
Is the Philippine Senate finally ready?
It took more than a year for the Senate to prepare for the trial. Duterte was in fact impeached in 2025, but her then allies in the Senate successfully delayed conducting the trial, aided by a Philippine Supreme Court decision that said the first impeachment violated the one-year ban on filing multiple impeachment complaints and infringed on Duterte’s right to due process.
This year, the HOR took care in its investigations and deliberations of the impeachment process, a grinding exercise that Duterte ignored by choosing to absent herself in all the hearings.
Today, Duterte is asked to appear before the impeachment court. She has not announced if she would attend or absent herself.
The Senate has rearranged its tables and chairs in its plenary hall to turn itself into an impeachment court. It has designated holding rooms for the prosecution, the defense, and witnesses. while journalists are given a separate room. Only camera persons and photographers as well as 61 observers are expected to be allowed inside the session hall.
Outside the premises, thousands of pro-conviction advocates and Duterte supporters are expected to hold rallies. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the country’s largest activist group, has announced it will conduct a rally to coincide with the start of the trial.
Why is the trial important?
VP Duterte’s fate at the hands of the impeachment court would determine whether she retains her position, the second highest in government, or shall be forced to leave her office. She will also be permanently banned from holding another public office if declared guilty. If so, she will be banned from seeking the presidency in the next elections in 2028, which she already announced earlier this year.
A guilty verdict against Duterte would get rid of Marcos Jr.’s biggest political enemy. An acquittal would mean grave troubles for the Marcoses in 2028.
The trial’s outcome would also impact on global geopolitical alignments. The Dutertes are widely perceived to be pro-Chinese government while the Marcoses are pro-Washington. Both superpowers are engaged in trade wars and saber-rattling in the region where the Philippines is strategically located.
Anti-corruption advocates such as Bayan adds that a conviction is a victory for accountability against corruption, albeit targeting only the Dutertes (the impeachment complaint against Marcos was quickly dismissed at the HOR).
There is no other country in the world where its two top political leaders are engaged in a political death match. The impeachment trial in the Philippines does indeed promise to be a blockbuster for Filipinos and global observers alike.