The Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, began the trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte on Monday, 6 July 2026. A conviction on any of the four articles—misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—requires the votes of at least 16 of the 24 senators and would result in her removal and permanent disqualification from holding public office. According to political analysts in Manila, the verdict will decisively shape the 2028 presidential contest, in which Duterte currently leads opinion polls.

Duterte, who did not appear in person, denies all charges and through her legal team has described the impeachment as politically motivated. The House prosecution panel, controlled by allies of President Marcos, stated it would “let the evidence speak for itself.” Jean Encinas-Franco, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, told media that public confidence in the trial depends on both sides being given adequate time to present their cases, warning that a perception of unfairness could trigger unrest similar to the 2001 Estrada impeachment, when a Senate vote to block evidence sparked mass protests that led to the president’s removal.

The trial unfolds amid heightened security, with more than 6,000 police deployed around the Senate complex as pro- and anti-Duterte demonstrators gathered. The chamber itself has been unsettled by procedural and leadership disputes. In June, senators amended rules to permit the election of a presiding officer other than the Senate president, leading to the selection of Senator Chiz Escudero over the objections of Duterte-aligned Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. The presiding officer’s evidentiary and procedural rulings can be overturned by a majority vote of the Senate, leaving ultimate authority with the full chamber. Meanwhile, two Duterte allies, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta, face separate plunder charges, and a third, Ronald dela Rosa, remains in hiding after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his role in the former administration’s anti-drug campaign.

The trial is expected to last several months, with sessions three times a week. The prosecution has listed 57 witnesses, while the defence has named 45. The proceedings test the resilience of the alliance that brought Marcos and Duterte to power in 2022 but has since fractured, with the vice-president accusing the president of orchestrating her father’s arrest and transfer to the ICC. Regional security analysts note that the two families also hold diverging postures toward China and the United States, adding a geopolitical dimension to the domestic power struggle. The Senate has not set a date for a final vote, but the pretrial timetable suggests proceedings could extend into early 2027.