Duterte, 48, assumed office in 2022 after winning the vice presidency alongside President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on a joint ticket that secured a landslide electoral victory. Their political alliance, however, soon collapsed, giving way to an increasingly public power struggle that has dominated Philippine politics over the past two years.

The proceedings make Duterte the first sitting vice president in the Philippines to face an impeachment trial. If convicted by the Senate, she could be permanently disqualified from holding public office, ending her widely anticipated bid for the presidency in 2028.

Under the Philippine Constitution, at least 16 of the 24 senators serving as impeachment judges must vote to convict. Political observers say reaching that threshold may prove difficult because both Duterte and Marcos retain substantial support among members of the Senate.

The trial follows months of political and legal confrontation. Earlier efforts to impeach Duterte were halted in 2025 after the Supreme Court ruled that constitutional safeguards prevented further proceedings based on the same or similar complaints for one year.

After that protection expired in mid-January, lawmakers renewed the impeachment effort. In May, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte over allegations that included misusing millions of dollars in confidential public funds and publicly threatening President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and the House speaker in 2024.

Duterte has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has described the impeachment process as a politically motivated campaign against her.

The vice president is the eldest daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte and has long been a prominent figure in the influential Duterte political family. She served as vice mayor and later mayor of Davao City, where her father built his political base before assuming the presidency in 2016.

Support from the Duterte family was widely viewed as a key factor in Marcos’ election victory in 2022. However, the alliance unraveled amid growing political disagreements, and Sara Duterte announced her intention to seek the presidency in 2028 earlier this year, while apologizing to voters for supporting Marcos in the previous election.

Political analysts say the impeachment trial will have consequences extending beyond Duterte’s personal political future.

Froilan Calilung, a political scientist at the University of Santo Tomas, said the proceedings could weaken Duterte’s political standing ahead of the next presidential election by placing the allegations against her under sustained public scrutiny through nationally televised hearings.

Maria Ela Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, said the case should primarily be viewed as a constitutional accountability process despite the intense rivalry between the Marcos and Duterte political camps. She said the trial would also test whether the Senate could independently fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.

Farah Decano, dean of the College of Law at Lyceum Northwestern University, warned that misinformation could influence public perceptions during the proceedings. She said the trial presented an opportunity for citizens to evaluate evidence through established legal processes rather than political loyalty or sentiment.

The Senate proceedings are expected to remain in the national spotlight in the coming weeks as lawmakers examine the charges and determine whether Duterte will continue to be eligible for elected office.