Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte recently faced a series of impeachment storms. Despite her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, vowing to return to politics to support his daughter, Sara's crisis seems inevitable.
With three impeachment lawsuits filed against her, the political scene in the Philippines is turbulent once again. Behind this political storm are power struggles, financial management disputes, and the complex games of future presidential elections.
How did the impeachment storm erupt?
The impeachment storm against Sara Duterte originated from financial management issues in her Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd). According to the Commission on Audit (COA), in December 2022, Sara's OVP used 125 million pesos of confidential funds within just 11 days, sparking public scrutiny.
Additionally, the Department of Education was also exposed for an unaccounted 15 million pesos of confidential funds, and the reimbursement documents for renting 34 "safe houses" by the Vice President's office were full of doubts, with incomplete contracts and unclear signatures.
On November 21, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability convened a hearing on this issue. Sara personally attended but refused to testify under oath, responding to inquiries only as a "resource person" and insisting she did not misuse public funds and was willing to undergo any audit or legal procedure. However, her attitude was interpreted by the outside world as unwilling to cooperate with the congressional budget accountability.
Subsequently, Congressman Joel Chua initiated the impeachment process, accusing Sara of corruption and betrayal of trust. In early December, 74 activists, including human rights, labor, and student leaders, formally submitted an impeachment lawsuit to the House, accusing her of misusing 612.5 million pesos and ordering officials to falsify financial reports to cover up the issues. Moreover, Sara was accused of refusing to defend the budget in Congress and trying to obstruct the audit work.
On December 9, a religious group planned to submit a third impeachment lawsuit, further aggravating Sara's political predicament. Although the Secretary General of the House of Representatives, Mario Merlasco, stated that it was necessary to wait for legal review, the increasing number of impeachment lawsuits has put Sara's political career at great risk.
Old Duterte's stance: If Sara is impeached, he will return to politics!
Facing his daughter's deep crisis, former President Duterte came out of retirement, declaring his intention to return to politics. He publicly stated that if Sara is impeached, he might run for senator or vice president, or even directly confront Bongbong Marcos.
Duterte bluntly said: "If they impeach my daughter, I will be forced to stop my retirement life. I might run for senator, or even vice president. If I am still alive and do not have dementia by then, I might even let Sara run for president."
These remarks caused a stir in the political arena. Duterte's stance not only represents full support for Sara but also indicates his growing dissatisfaction with the current government. Duterte's relationship with the current President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has deteriorated over the years, and this incident undoubtedly deepened the political rift between the two sides.
Sara later responded, saying she fully supports her father's political decisions and emphasized that no matter what happens, her family will stand together.
However, the attitude of the Marcos government remains ambiguous—although he stated on November 25 that he does not support the impeachment of Sara, government agencies are still advancing investigations against her.
Intensified political struggles: A complete fallout between Marcos and Duterte?
This impeachment incident is not just Sara's personal political crisis but also a power struggle between the Marcos family and the Duterte family in the Philippine political arena.
In the 2022 presidential election, Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte formed an alliance and successfully won the presidential and vice-presidential seats. However, as their political stances diverged after taking office, their cooperative relationship gradually deteriorated. Sara once mentioned in a private meeting, "If I get killed, go kill Marcos." This statement, once exposed, caused a huge uproar, leading the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to intervene, requiring Sara to explain.
Facing the investigation, Sara denied planning to assassinate the president and called the government's accusations a "political farce." However, on December 2, several civil organizations still submitted the first impeachment lawsuit to the House of Representatives on the grounds of serious misconduct and constitutional violations.
Currently, the Marcos government has not clearly stated whether it will support the impeachment case, but political observers point out that if the House impeachment case is passed, it will mean a significant reduction in the political influence of the Duterte family, while Marcos's power will be further consolidated.
Sara's future: Can the impeachment succeed?
Currently, the impeachment proceedings against Sara are still in the preliminary review stage, and the House has not yet formally submitted the impeachment complaint. However, the successive emergence of three impeachment lawsuits indicates that her political opponents have launched a full-scale attack.
According to the Philippine Constitution, the impeachment case must be voted on by the House and tried in the Senate. If two-thirds of the Senate votes in favor, Sara will be officially removed and lose the qualification to run for public office in the future.
Facing the surging political crisis, Sara's attitude remains firm. She stated: "I fully welcome and look forward to responding to these accusations. You can try to destroy me, but I will not yield."
However, it is generally believed that regardless of whether the impeachment case is successful or not, Sara's political future has already been severely damaged. She was originally seen as a hot candidate for the 2028 presidential election, but now, this storm is likely to end her campaign path.
Can Old Duterte's return change Sara's fate?
Sara Duterte's impeachment storm has transcended financial disputes and become the core of a new round of power struggles in the Philippine political arena. The relationship between the Duterte family and the Marcos government has completely broken down, and the return of former President Duterte may make this political storm even more intense.
However, even if "Old Duterte" personally enters the fray, Sara may not escape impeachment. Facing continuous legal accusations, government investigations, and the estrangement of political allies, her vice-presidential career is likely nearing its end.
The political scene in the Philippines is turbulent again, and this family political struggle, how will it end? Let's wait and see.
