Sara Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte is currently facing an impeachment trial in the Philippine Senate, which opened on May 18, 2026, following a unanimous vote by the House Committee on Justice on April 29, 2026. The charges include betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft, corruption, and bribery. Key allegations include: Misuse of Funds: Duterte is accused of mismanaging P650 million in confidential funds as Vice President and Education Secretary, and P2.7 billion in confidential funds as Davao City Mayor. She also faces allegations of graft involving P8 billion in overpriced laptops, P12 billion in Commission on Audit disallowances, and P7 billion in unliquidated cash advances during her tenure at the Department of Education. Financial Misconduct: The Anti-Money Laundering Council reported that bank accounts tied to Duterte and her husband recorded P6.77 billion in suspicious and covered transactions from 2006 to 2025. Lawmakers allege these transactions were not reflected in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), which showed zero cash deposits from 2019 to 2024 despite a significant increase in reported net worth. Bribery and Other Controversies: Complaints include allegations of receiving funds from personalities linked to the illegal drug trade during her time as Davao Mayor and making death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the former House Speaker. Duterte has denied all wrongdoing, characterizing the proceedings as politically motivated. A previous 2025 impeachment attempt was nullified by the Supreme Court on technical grounds regarding the one-year constitutional bar.