MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine House committee determined Wednesday there exists “probable cause” to move forward with impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte following an investigation into criminal accusations, including undisclosed wealth, improper handling of government money, and assassination threats against the president.
The Southeast Asian democracy has faced ongoing challenges with governance scandals and political instability for decades, including an escalating feud between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The 53-member House justice committee’s unanimous ruling represents another blow to the vice president, who has consistently denied all accusations and declined to provide detailed responses to the specific charges.
The impeachment accusations focus on Duterte’s suspected illegal handling and mismanagement of substantial sums from both the vice presidential office and during her tenure leading the education department under Marcos.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the National Bureau of Investigation testified that statements Duterte made during a 2024 online press conference threatening to kill Marcos, his spouse, and the House speaker if she were assassinated constituted a national security threat.
The committee’s ruling advances both impeachment cases against Duterte to the full House chamber for consideration and voting by more than 300 lawmakers.
Should the Marcos-controlled House vote to impeach, Duterte would then stand trial in the Senate.
Critics have expressed particular alarm about Duterte’s alleged misconduct given her announced plans to run for president in 2028.
Justice committee chair Rep. Gerville Luistro criticized the vice president for skipping six televised hearings over recent months and petitioning the Supreme Court to halt the impeachment investigation into various accusations, including substantial unreported bank transactions spanning multiple years.
“If there is nothing to hide, there is no reason to hide, there is no reason to obstruct,” Luistro stated as Wednesday’s committee session began. “The only people who fear the disclosures of these transactions are those with dirty secrets.”
On Monday, Duterte’s spouse, Manases Carpio, filed criminal charges against Luistro and other officials after the couple’s banking records were publicly disclosed during a recent House hearing, claiming violations of banking privacy laws.
Duterte is the child of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces detention by the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands for suspected crimes against humanity related to his administration’s lethal anti-drug campaigns.
Many of the current accusations against the vice president were part of a previous impeachment attempt she escaped on procedural grounds last year.
The House voted to impeach her previously and forwarded the matter to the Senate for trial. The Supreme Court subsequently determined that the lower chamber had violated a constitutional provision limiting impeachment proceedings to one case annually.
Public opinion polls continue to show the vice president maintains strong popular support.
Duterte and the president formed a surprising partnership for the 2022 election but have since engaged in a bitter public dispute.
