MANILA, Philippines – On May 11, the House of Representatives approved the justice committee report that found probable cause in the complaints against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte. A total of 257 lawmakers voted to indict Duterte, exceeding the 215 House members who signed her impeachment complaint in 2025.
The Vice President made history by becoming the first Philippine official to be impeached twice.
At the upper chamber, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was elected as Senate president, ousting Senator Tito Sotto. Thirteen senators supported Cayetano’s leadership, including Senator Bato dela Rosa, who, after months of being absent, showed up to support Cayetano.
Dela Rosa’s reappearance was meant not just to back the Senate coup but also to shield himself from a possible International Criminal Court arrest. The ICC issued a warrant against Dela Rosa for the alleged killings in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.
On May 13, gunshots were fired within the premises of the Senate building after it went into lockdown, hours after the Supreme Court did not provide immediate relief to Dela Rosa, who is seeking a temporary restraining order against the ICC warrant.
