The Philippine Senate yesterday opened the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, kicking off a process that is likely to dominate the country’s politics in the second half of 2026.
In May, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte for a range of transgressions, including corruption, misuse of government funds, and an alleged plot to kill her former ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and his wife. If convicted, which requires a two-thirds vote in the 24-seat chamber, the 48-year-old Duterte would lose her post and be banned from holding elected office for life.
More than 6,000 police officers were deployed around the Senate building for the opening day of the trial, and both supporters and detractors held protests in the vicinity.
The trial, which comes against the backdrop of the bitter feud between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will be held on three days each week, with the prosecution being allotted 62 trial dates and the defense 30. This suggests that the trial could drag on into the latter months of 2026, and possibly beyond.
During Monday’s opening session, prosecutors from the House of Representatives focused primarily on the corruption allegations against Duterte. “If ordinary Filipinos are held to account, why not the most powerful government official? That is why the trial is important,” said Congresswomen Gerville Luistro, presenting the prosecution’s opening argument.
