TIMELINE: Sara Duterte impeachment

Vice President Sara Duterte has become the first Philippine official to be impeached twice.

Duterte, who previously served as secretary of the Department of Education, is facing complaints involving the alleged misuse of confidential funds and questionable transactions during her tenure.

A total of 257 lawmakers voted to impeach Duterte for the second time on May 11. This number exceeds the 215 House members who signed her impeachment complaint in 2025. Twenty-five House members voted against the impeachment, while nine abstained.

Duterte, once a strong ally of Marcos, ran alongside him in the 2022 election as part of the Uniteam alliance. She secured 32,208,417 votes, or 61.53% of the total votes cast — outperforming Marcos, who garnered 31,629,783 votes.

Initially appointed as Marcos’ education secretary, Duterte later resigned, officially marking the end of an alliance that had been described as a “marriage of convenience” from the start.

While the impeachment charge formally accuses Duterte, it does not automatically result in her removal from office. She will now face an impeachment trial in the Senate.

Here’s a timeline of significant events that led to her impeachment. We are republishing this story with updates, in light of latest developments. We will continue to update the story as the case progresses.

July 3, 2023

The Commission on Audit (COA) releases the annual audit report covering the 2022 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP). Findings include Duterte’s office spending P125 million on confidential funds during the latter part of 2022, a far cry from Leni Robredo’s zero confidential fund spending.

This development opens a floodgate of criticism against Duterte, who also does not hold back in her response to critics.

It is discovered that Duterte sent a letter in August 2022 to the Department of Budget and Management asking for more funds.

September 25, 2023

The COA confirms that the OVP under Duterte spent its 2022 confidential funds amounting to P125 million in just 11 days.

This information, uncovered during plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives, corrects earlier reports that the OVP spent it in 19 days.

October 10, 2023

The House of Representatives announces that it is blocking the confidential funds requested in the 2024 budget of five government agencies, including two headed by Duterte: Department of Education (DepEd) and the OVP.

Duterte’s office requested P500 million in confidential funds while DepEd proposed P150 million, moves that earned massive scrutiny both from the government and the public.

November 16, 2023

ACT Teachers Representative and House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro says there were informal discussions about Duterte’s possible impeachment, although she later says these conversations are still “premature.”

March 12, 2024

Duterte attends a rally calling for the resignation of Marcos. It is organized by supporters of the fugitive preacher Apollo Quiboloy, a close ally of her father Rodrigo. She does not give a statement during the event.

April 19, 2024

First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos says Duterte “crossed the line” when she laughed when her father Rodrigo called the President “bangag” or high on drugs.

“Nasaktan ako, because my husband will do everything to protect you. You ran together, ‘di ba? Sama-sama tayong babangon muli. Pupunta ka sa rally, tatawagin iyong presidente mong bangag, you’re going to laugh. Tama ba ‘yun? Even Leni Robredo never did that,” she said.

(I was hurt, because my husband will do everything to protect you. You ran together, didn’t you? Our motto was we would rise together. Then you attend a rally where your president is being called high. Then you’re going to laugh. Is that even right? Even Leni Robredo never did that.)

The President, however, downplays the rift between his camp and Sara’s. He says that all the issues can easily be fixed.

June 19, 2024

Duterte resigns as education secretary. In her letter, she says that she will “remain of service to the country” through the OVP. 

August 21, 2024

Some ranking members of the House deny that there is an effort to impeach Duterte. House Assistant Zia Alonto Adiong says that “it is counterproductive to what they are doing right now.”

August 27, 2024

During budget deliberations, Duterte faces the House of Representatives which turns out to be messy. She repeatedly refuses to answer questions regarding the use of her confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

September 3, 2024

At the House plenary, Manila 2nd District Representative Rolando Valeriano decries Duterte’s apparent unwillingness to explain how she spent public funds and questions her allegiances.

September 18, 2024

The House’s good government committee convenes to discuss a lawmaker’s privilege speech on Duterte’s alleged misuse of public funds. The panel is surprised by the Vice President’s sudden appearance. She questions the legitimacy of the probe and accuses lawmakers of plotting her impeachment.

November 23, 2024

In a Zoom briefing on Saturday at 12:32 a.m., Duterte threatens to kill the president and his family. She says she has spoken with an assassin and had given instructions to target the President, his wife Liza, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she is killed.

She makes this threat from the House detention room of her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez. Lopez is detained at the House facility after she was cited for contempt due to her evasive answers during the probe into her boss’ alleged misuse of funds at the OVP and the DepEd.

November 25, 2024

A former DepEd special disbursing officer admits that then-education secretary Duterte ordered him to give cash to school superintendents through their bank accounts.

November 29, 2024

Marcos opposes the impeachment efforts against the Vice President. He says that “none of this will help improve a single Filipino life.”

December 2, 2024

The first impeachment complaint against Duterte is filed by a coalition of various organizations. 

The groups, which include Magdalo, Mamamayang Liberal, Tindig Pilipinas, families of drug war victims, and leaders of the Catholic Church want Duterte indicted for betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes. This is endorsed by Akbayan Representative Perci Cendaña. 

December 4, 2024

Just two days after the first complaint is filed, Duterte faces another impeachment complaint filed by left-leaning organizations before the House of Representatives.

The second complaint has over 70 signatories, including former lawmakers Teddy Casiño, Liza Maza, Neri Colmenares, Sarah Elago, Antonio Tinio, Satur Ocampo, Eufemia Cullamat, Emmi de Jesus, and Ferdinand Gaite. It is endorsed by the three-member Makabayan bloc, namely ACT Teachers Representative France Castro, Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Representative Raoul Manuel.

December 9, 2024

The House of Representatives wraps up its inquiry into the alleged misuse of confidential funds of Duterte. This is the 8th day of the probe.

December 19, 2024

Members of the clergy file a third impeachment complaint against Duterte. The complaint is endorsed by House Assistant Minority Leader Gabriel Bordado of Camarines Sur’s 3rd District and Deputy Minority Leader Lex Colada of party-list group AAMBIS-OWA. 

December 25, 2024

Duterte says that her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, will join her legal team that will face the string of impeachment complaints pending in the House of Representatives.

2025

February 5, 2025

The House of Representatives impeaches Duterte, with 215 lawmakers — more than two-thirds of the 306-member body — supporting the complaint.

February 6, 2025

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirms that 25 more lawmakers have backed the complaint bringing the total signatories to 240.

He explains that these additional lawmakers failed to attend the initial oath-taking and verification due to commitments abroad or in their respective districts.

June 9, 2025

Senate President Chiz Escudero takes oath as presiding officer of the impeachment trial. This comes after the minority bloc filed a motion for the Senate to immediately convene into an impeachment court but failed.

June 10, 2025 

The Senate convenes as an impeachment court. Sitting as an impeachment court, the upper chamber returns the articles of impeachment against Duterte to the House, citing constitutional flaws, a move legal experts call unconstitutional.

June 11, 2025

The Office of the Vice President receives the articles of impeachment at 11:05 am. 

July 25, 2025

The Supreme Court blocks the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

The ruling stemmed from a petition filed by Duterte and a group of Mindanao lawyers. Any subsequent impeachment complaint may only be filed starting February 6, 2026, the High Court said. 

August 5, 2025

The Senate archives the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, citing a Supreme Court ruling that pauses the trial.

The motion, filed by Senator Rodante Marcoleta, passes with a 19-4-1 vote.

Responding to the move, Duterte says she had wanted a full public airing of evidence from both the prosecution and the defense, but declares this will no longer happen at this time.

January 29, 2026

The Supreme Court affirms its earlier ruling that barred the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

In a decision announced on January 29, the High Court denies a motion for reconsideration that sought to overturn its ruling voiding the impeachment complaints against the Vice President.

February 2, 2026

Duterte faces fresh impeachment complaints filed by progressive and civil society leaders.

The first refiled complaint is submitted by leftist leaders and endorsed by members of the Makabayan bloc.

A second set of complainants includes Father Flavie Villanueva and convenors of Tindig Pilipinas. Their petition is endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima and Akbayan Representative Perci Cendaña.

The move follows the Supreme Court’s clarification that the impeachment process against Duterte was triggered on January 14, 2025, meaning her one-year immunity period lapses on January 15, 2026.

February 9, 2026

Clergy members file the third impeachment complaint against Duterte, describing the issue as a “moral concern.”

The complaint accuses Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and commission of high crimes in connection with her alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, alleged bribery of education officials, an alleged assassination threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, and supposed unexplained wealth, among other claims.

The complaint is backed in the House by Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima.

February 18, 2026

Vice President Duterte announces that she will run for president in 2028.

She says she is offering her life, strength, and future in the service of the nation.

The announcement also comes a week before the International Criminal Court holds a pre-trial hearing for former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has been detained in The Hague since March 2025 over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the drug war.

February 18, 2026

A fourth impeachment complaint is filed against Duterte.

The complaint is submitted by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera and endorsed by Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega and Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante.

It cites several grounds, including alleged culpable violation of the Constitution over supposed threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, alleged circumvention of accountability rules involving confidential funds, and alleged failure to properly declare net worth. 

It also raises claims of betrayal of the public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes linked to alleged misuse of public funds and abuse of authority.

February 23, 2026

The House of Representatives transmits to the justice committee four impeachment complaints filed against Duterte.

The referral of the petitions to the panel, based on Supreme Court jurisprudence, indicates that the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President are officially initiated.

March 4, 2026

The House justice committee votes to declare two active impeachment complaints sufficient in substance. 

Both complaints secure 54 affirmative votes, one negative vote, and no abstentions, with Quezon City 4th District Representative Bong Suntay casting the lone dissenting vote.

March 5, 2026

The House justice committee serves Duterte a notice requiring her to respond within 10 days to the impeachment complaints filed against her.

The notice states that failure to file a verified answer within the given period is considered a waiver of the right to respond, and that this will be treated as a general denial of the allegations in the impeachment complaints.

March 16, 2026

Duterte files her verified answer to the two impeachment complaints against her.

Instead of directly rebutting the allegations, she raises what she describes as “double standards” by the House of Representatives in its handling of her case compared with that of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

She says the House justice committee “goes beyond the four corners of the complaint and relies on extraneous considerations that are irrelevant” when it dismisses complaints against Marcos, despite what she describes as “serious allegations revolving around misuse and corruption of billions of public funds” against the President.

March 18, 2026

The House justice committee declares that the complaints against Duterte allege sufficient grounds for impeachment.

The panel also announces that hearings on the complaints will begin on March 25.

March 25, 2026

The House of Representatives begins hearings on the impeachment complaints against Duterte.

Justice committee chair Jinky Luistro describes the hearing proper as a “mini-trial,” as the proceedings examine the evidence presented by the complainants.

Akbayan Representative Chel Diokno previously asks the committee to take custody of Ramil Madriaga, Duterte’s former aide, who claims he coordinated with the Vice President’s security officers in the delivery of cash — which, he says, involved confidential funds — to various individuals. Madriaga is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa.

The committee also asks for Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth from 2007 to 2013, 2016 to 2019, and 2022 to 2025, among other documents.

March 27, 2026

Lawyers allied with the Duterte family file a petition asking the Supreme Court to again stop Duterte’s impeachment proceedings.

The petitioners include Israelito Torreon, former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez, former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chief Martin Delgra, and former budget chief Wendel Avisado.

The petition asks the SC to issue a temporary restraining order to block House impeachment proceedings, including hearings, deliberations, voting, subpoenas, compulsory processes, committee reports, resolutions, and related actions.

They also ask the High Court to declare that the House justice committee gravely abuses its discretion in sustaining the third and fourth impeachment complaints.

April 8, 2026

The Supreme Court does not issue a temporary restraining order that could have halted the impeachment hearings against Duterte at the House of Representatives.

The High Court instead directs respondents in Duterte’s petition to submit a comment within 10 non-extendible days.

April 14, 2026

Key witnesses, including Vice President Duterte’s alleged former aide Ramil Madriaga, appear at the House justice committee’s second public hearing on the impeachment complaints.

Madriaga claims he coordinated with her security officers in transporting cash, which, he says, were confidential funds, to various individuals.

During the hearing, the Commission on Audit also affirms its notice of disallowance to the Office of the Vice President involving P73.287 million in confidential expenses.

The proceedings continue after Duterte fails to secure Supreme Court intervention to stop the House hearings, and she again snubs the session.

April 20, 2026

House justice committee member Terry Ridon releases to the media a new Commission on Audit notice ordering the Office of the Vice President to return P375 million in confidential funds for 2023 over alleged violations of rules governing such expenses.

The notice of disallowance, dated March 31, holds Duterte liable for the disbursement, along with special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, chief accountant Julieta Villadelrey, and Duterte’s security head Raymund Dante Lachica.

April 22, 2026

An Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report presented during the impeachment hearing against Vice President Duterte confirms that she was the beneficiary of check transactions made by alleged drug lord Samuel “Sammy” Uy and his associates.

The council says banks reported two check transactions from Uy and his associates to Duterte between October 2011 and April 2012 totaling P14.8 million.

AMLC also confirms during the hearing that P6.77 billion in large and suspicious transactions passed through the bank accounts of Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio, from 2006 to 2025.

The council says the transactions include P230.87 million from 2019 to 2024, years when Duterte allegedly did not declare cash and cash deposits in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth.

April 27, 2026

Manases “Mans” Carpio, the husband of Vice President Duterte, files a criminal complaint on April 27, against Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, and four members of the House justice committee handling the impeachment complaints against his wife.

The complaint, filed before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, alleges violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, bank secrecy laws, and the Data Privacy Act.

Carpio alleges that the AMLC and the House panel improperly disclosed private financial records during Duterte’s third impeachment hearing, including details involving insurance payments, time deposits, investments, and utility bill transactions.

April 29, 2026

The House justice committee finds probable cause to impeach Duterte.

A total of 53 lawmakers unanimously vote in favor of declaring probable cause in the first two complaints. 

May 11, 2026

The House of Representatives impeaches Duterte for the second time.

257 lawmakers vote to indict Duterte, exceeding the 215 House members who signed her impeachment complaint in 2025.

Twenty-five House members vote against the impeachment, while nine abstain.

May 12, 2026

The House of Representatives announces the 11 prosecutors for Vice President Duterte’s impeachment trial.

The lineup largely consists of the same individuals who would have been tasked with presenting the case against Duterte had the impeachment trial proceeded in 2025.

May 13, 2026

The House of Representatives transmits the articles of impeachment against Vice President Duterte to the Senate. The move formally sends the case to the upper chamber for further proceedings.

May 14, 2026

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano announces that the upper chamber will convene as an impeachment court on May 18.

In a letter to House Speaker Bojie Dy, Cayetano says the Senate secretariat is directed to include the articles of impeachment in the calendar for ordinary business for referral to the impeachment court.

He also tells reporters that the Senate will follow the Constitution and that there will be no delays.

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– with reports from Dwight de Leon/Rappler.com