Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, faces allegations including misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth accumulation and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady and a former House speaker. She has denied all wrongdoing.

The impeachment proceedings unfold amid intensifying political divisions between the Duterte and Marcos camps, whose alliance secured victory in the 2022 national election before deteriorating into a bitter power struggle.

The Senate trial could determine whether Duterte remains eligible for public office and preserves her status as a leading presidential contender. A conviction would require support from two-thirds of the 24-member Senate and would bar her from holding office.

The political climate surrounding the case has become increasingly volatile following the dramatic return of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, a close Duterte ally who had reportedly been in hiding for months while facing scrutiny linked to the International Criminal Court’s investigation into the former president’s anti-drug campaign.

Dela Rosa resurfaced ahead of a crucial Senate vote that installed Duterte ally Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president, positioning him to preside over the impeachment proceedings.

Analysts said the leadership shift may strengthen Duterte’s standing within the chamber, where several senators are viewed as aligned with the Duterte political bloc.

“Given that we now have a new majority, thanks to the efforts of Senator Bato, it would make prosecuting Vice President Sara in the impeachment court a little more difficult,” Ederson Tapia, a public administration professor at the University of Makati, said.

The impeachment process comes as Rodrigo Duterte awaits proceedings before the International Criminal Court over allegations tied to his deadly anti-narcotics campaign during his presidency.

The renewed focus on dela Rosa has added to tensions in Manila after reports of unrest and gunfire linked to attempts to arrest the senator. Philippine authorities confirmed on Friday they would pursue legal action to detain him, while dela Rosa has sought relief from the Supreme Court, arguing there is no legal basis for enforcing a warrant issued by an international tribunal.

President Marcos has publicly distanced himself from the impeachment effort, describing it as a matter for the legislature.

The Senate has not announced a formal start date for the trial proceedings.

The International Criminal Court last week unsealed an arrest warrant accusing Dela Rosa, Duterte and other alleged co-perpetrators of committing the “crime against humanity of murder” during the Philippines’ crackdown on illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa, who briefly remained inside the Philippine Senate last week while contesting the warrant, petitioned the Supreme Court to block government efforts to detain him.

In a filing dated May 16, Solicitor-General Darlene Berberabe argued that Dela Rosa had effectively placed himself “outside the protection of the law” and urged the court to dismiss his petition.

“Until he submits himself to lawful authorities, he must be deemed a fugitive from justice and should not be allowed to seek any relief from the courts,” the filing said.

Authorities said Dela Rosa quietly left the Senate building on Thursday, and his whereabouts were not immediately known.

The Philippine justice department said on Friday that authorities would defer serving the ICC warrant until the Supreme Court ruled on Dela Rosa’s petition, unless officials determined he was attempting to leave the country.

The Supreme Court did not immediately comment on the government filing.

Dela Rosa has argued the ICC warrant is invalid because the Philippines withdrew in 2019 from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court.
Berberabe said in the filing that withdrawal from the treaty “does not relieve a state party from cooperating in proceedings already initiated before the ICC.”

The ICC prosecutor opened a preliminary examination into the Philippines’ anti-drug campaign in 2018 after rights groups and activists alleged widespread extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s presidency.
Thousands of people, including suspected drug users and low-level dealers, were killed during the campaign launched after Duterte took office in 2016, according to human rights organizations.

Duterte was arrested in March last year and transferred to The Hague, where he remains in detention awaiting trial before the ICC.

Dela Rosa served as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018 before entering politics. He was elected to the Senate in 2019 and retained his seat in the 2025 midterm elections.

Briefing the Security Council via video link, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said investigators had uncovered proof of mass killing events and deliberate concealment through makeshift burial sites. The assessment was based on satellite imagery, verified video footage, audio recordings, and corroborated testimony from affected communities.

The crimes were linked to the RSF’s seizure of El-Fasher in October, which marked the fall of the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in the Darfur region. Khan said the evidence showed a consistent pattern of organised violence rather than isolated incidents.

According to the ICC, footage reviewed by prosecutors showed RSF fighters detaining civilians, subjecting them to abuse, executing them, and later celebrating the killings. Khan added that some videos also depicted the desecration of bodies, reinforcing allegations of extreme brutality.

The findings align with reports from civil society organisations and humanitarian groups that documented widespread atrocities following the RSF’s advance. Reports of sexual violence, abductions, looting, and targeted killings emerged soon after the city fell under paramilitary control.

Sudan has been locked in a devastating civil war since April 2023, with fighting between the Sudanese army and the RSF killing tens of thousands of people. The conflict has displaced more than 11 million civilians and triggered what the United Nations describes as the world’s largest humanitarian and hunger crisis.

Khan told the Council that the atrocities in El-Fasher mirrored earlier violence in West Darfur’s capital, El-Geneina, where UN experts estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 people were killed in 2023. Most victims there belonged to the Massalit ethnic group, raising concerns of ethnically motivated violence.

She said the emerging picture was one of widespread and organised criminality carried out with a sense of total impunity. Without accountability, she warned, such crimes would continue unchecked.

The ICC also renewed calls for Sudanese authorities to cooperate with international justice mechanisms. Khan urged the government to ensure the surrender of individuals subject to outstanding arrest warrants issued by the court.

Those named include former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir, former ruling party chairman Ahmed Haroun, and ex-defence minister Abdul Raheem Mohammed Hussein. All are wanted in connection with earlier atrocities committed in Darfur.

Khan stressed that Ahmed Haroun’s arrest should be prioritised. Haroun faces dozens of charges for crimes against humanity and war crimes related to his role in mobilising the Janjaweed militia during the Darfur conflict of the 2000s, a force that later evolved into the RSF.

Despite escaping prison in 2023, Haroun has since reappeared publicly, rallying support for the Sudanese army. The ICC said this highlights the ongoing challenge of enforcing international warrants amid Sudan’s continuing instability.

Khan addressed the Security Council remotely after being denied a visa to travel to New York, citing sanctions imposed against her by the United States. She said the restrictions would not deter the ICC from pursuing accountability for crimes committed in Sudan.

The briefing underscored growing international concern that without decisive action, the Sudan conflict will continue to generate mass civilian suffering, while perpetrators remain beyond the reach of justice.