Philippine court strikes down landmark impeachment bid against Sara Duterte

The Philippine Supreme Court has blocked an impeachment trial against Sara Duterte, marking a victory for the country’s vice-president.

The lower house of the Philippine parliament had voted to impeach Duterte in February after she was accused of misusing public funds and threatening to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

But a court spokesperson told reporters on Friday the impeachment vote violated a constitutional ban on having multiple impeachment proceedings in a year.

At a press conference on Friday, the court said it was not absolving Duterte of the charges she faces. But the ruling means she has been granted a reprieve from possible ousting, at least until February 2026.

This also gives her more time to gather support for a possible presidential run in the crucial run-up years to the 2028 general elections.

But even before the ruling, the odds of convicting Sara in the Senate impeachment court or even starting the proceedings was uncertain due to shifting political alliances that followed the general election in May.

The feud between Duterte and Marcos had dominated the election, and Duterte won more seats in the Senate than expected, in what was seen as a rebuff of the incumbent.

The 15-member Supreme Court is dominated by appointees of Sara’s father.

Impeachment proceedings are extremely divisive in Philippine’s chaotic political landscape. Since the restoration of democracy to the country in 1986, only one such attempt has successfully ended with a verdict – that of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was convicted of hiding his assets in 2012.

Former president Joseph Estrada’s impeachment for alleged graft was cut short in 2001, after public anger over the conduct of the trial sparked massive street protests that eventually led to his ouster.