The House of Representatives is on track to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time in just over a year, with at least two lawmakers confirming Thursday that support has already surpassed 200 votes ahead of Monday’s scheduled plenary session.
Rep. Terry Ridon of Bicol Saro, who sits on the House justice committee, placed the count at 215 — the same number that backed the first impeachment complaint in February 2025. Rep. Jude Acidre of Tingog said the tally had been climbing throughout the committee’s clarificatory hearings and expressed confidence it would hold or grow further by Monday.
“Based on our monitoring, I think we’re going to hit the majority number,” Acidre said. “We’re hoping the result would be as much as or even higher than the impeachment last time. We’re hoping that at least 200 or 215, that’s really the goal.”
“As of now, I can confidently say it will be above 180,” he added, referencing earlier projections from House leadership.
Only 106 votes — one-third of the 318-member chamber — are required to forward the articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial.
The complaint cleared the House justice panel on April 29, when members voted 53-0 to find probable cause. A second vote on May 4 saw 55 panel members unanimously adopt the committee report and the consolidated articles of impeachment.
The charges against Duterte include betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. Among the specific allegations are the alleged misuse of at least P500 million in confidential funds at the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million at the Department of Education, unexplained wealth and discrepancies in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, and an alleged plot to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
The current proceedings differ procedurally from the first impeachment, which bypassed committee review by invoking the one-third signature rule. This time, the complaint underwent a full panel process — including at least four hearings that Duterte chose not to attend.
The Supreme Court struck down the first complaint, which was signed by 215 lawmakers on February 5, 2025, ruling that it violated the constitutional prohibition on successive impeachment attempts within a one-year period. The court’s dismissal of the government’s motion for reconsideration became final in January. Should Monday’s vote succeed, the Senate will convene as an impeachment court.
