On February 5, 2025, Sara Duterte-Carpio became the first vice president in Philippine history to be impeached by the House of Representatives, when Congress held its last plenary session before it adjourned for the 2025 midterm elections.
After three impeachment complaints, as well as a series of mobilizations both supporting and opposing the calls for impeachment, 215 out of the 306 members of the Lower House signed a fourth complaint, exceeding the required one-third threshold to approve the articles of impeachment and their transmission to the Senate.
Only four other officials have been impeached in the past: President Joseph Estrada in 2000, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and the late Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2011, and Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista in 2017.听听
Only the impeachment complaints against Estrada and Corona proceeded to a trial in the Senate, as Gutierrez and Bautista resigned from their posts before they were tried. Estrada鈥檚 trial, however, ended abruptly in 2001 amid the second EDSA People Power uprising that led to his ouster; while Corona鈥檚 conviction and removal from public office remains the only impeachment process completed to date.
All eyes are now on the Senate, especially after it adjourned without tackling the impeachment complaints. Will the Upper Chamber heed the calls to proceed forthwith to convene a special session to conduct the trial even while Congress is in recess, or will it instead defer acting on the complaints until it reconvenes after the elections?
Impeaching public officials remains a highly controversial and political process. But for members of the UP community who have consistently stood at the forefront of advocating and mobilizing for justice and accountability over the years, an impeachment will be a crucial test of the country鈥檚 democratic processes and institutions; and the youth must keep watch as it unfolds.
WATCH:
Lessons from the past
On December 4, 2024, 75 youth leaders and sectoral representatives led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) filed the second impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte for betrayal of public trust over her office鈥檚 use of confidential funds. Among its signatories was UP Student Regent Francesca Mariae Duran.
鈥溾�榊ung hindi [niya] pagsagot nang maayos sa mga budget deliberations [tungkol] sa pag-spend ng malaking amount in just a short amount of time, 鈥榶ung hindi din pag-fulfill [o] pagtugon doon sa mga problema ng sector of education as Secretary of the Department of Education, 鈥榶un 鈥榶ung parang naniniwala kaming mga Iskolar ng Bayan na valid na grounds kung bakit dapat makiisa doon sa impeachment complaint laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte,鈥� Duran stated.听
Along with the filing of the impeachment complaint, the UP Office of the Student Regent is also spearheading several campaigns for the vice president鈥檚 impeachment inside and outside UP, such as the UP Act Against Corruption Network, and the Leaders and Advocates of the Youth for the Accountability of Sara Duterte or the Layas Duterte Network.
Duran said that she and other youth leaders were drawing lessons from how the youth and other sectors mobilized during past impeachment trials, especially during Estrada鈥檚 trial: 鈥淢ayroong malaking naging gampanin 鈥榶ung youth in that time na, siyempre, gusto nating ma-maximize din sa kasalukuyan.鈥澨�
Indeed, in the first days of the second People Power uprising in EDSA and even way before, students from various schools and universities in Metro Manila, together with several youth-led formations and organizations, had already been at the forefront of mass protests calling for Estrada鈥檚 conviction and removal.听
鈥淰ery active ang role ng kabataan [noon] sa pag-monitor ng impeachment at saka 鈥榶ung pag-expose sa corruption ni Estrada at paglaban sa kanyang pamumuno,鈥� a former youth leader and current Bayan Secretary General Raymond Palatino recalled. During the height of Estrada鈥檚 impeachment in 2000, he was the chairperson of the UP Diliman University Student Council and was among youth leaders who spearheaded the Estrada Resign Youth Movement.
鈥淎ng napakahalaga sa impeachment trial is the public, kasi kailangan ng public pressure, kailangan ng monitoring,鈥� Palatino insisted; and at that time, the UP community closely monitored the Estrada鈥檚 trial: 鈥淰igilant ang UP community. Bakit? Kasi marami sa mga senador, UP alumni. Marami sa mga Cabinet members ni Erap, UP alumni [rin]. Sabi niya, 鈥榢ung babagsak ako, dapat ibagsak din ang UP, kasi karamihan ng Cabinet ko, taga-UP.鈥� Tapos, ang mga prosecutors. . . mga taga-UP [rin].鈥澨�
One of the crucial lessons their generation of youth leaders learned from the successful impeachment and ouster of Estrada was the importance of creativity in swaying and uniting a broad number of people to the youth movement鈥檚 cause: 鈥淸Una,] napakahalaga ng pagkakaisa sa hanay ng mga kabataan. Pangalawa, 鈥榶ung pagkilos kailangan tuloy-tuloy, matapang, malakas, creative, nagbubuklod sa marami, tapos kailangang i-assert 鈥榶ung independence ng youth movement,鈥� Palatino reiterated.
The youth movement, for example, was able to creatively harness then emerging technology such as text messages and emails to quickly communicate and mobilize amid developments and revelations during Estrada鈥檚 impeachment trial in the Senate. Mailing lists, for example, enabled student leaders like Palatino to mobilize dormers during the first night of what became the second EDSA People Power uprising; and to reach other sectors in the UP community: faculty, administrative staff, and even vendors, in order to unify calls and efforts for Estrada鈥檚 impeachment.
鈥淣andoon [sa mailing list] 鈥榶ung unification: ano ang nangyari sa impeachment, ano 鈥榶ung balita, ano 鈥榶ung suri, ano ang mga panawagan, saan tayo pupunta, ano ang gagawin natin, paano mag-organize ng forum, quick action; so that鈥檚 one way to quickly unite the community at saka sama-sama ang tugon.鈥� Palatino continued.
Despite the historic impeachment and ouster of Estrada, he nevertheless said that one of the challenges youth leaders faced in their campaign was sustaining public vigilance on the trial.
鈥淧aano [namin kukumbinsihin] ang tao na kailangan patuloy na maging aktibo sa pag-monitor at saka pagpurisigi ng panawagan ng accountability kasi, paano mo [iba-balance] 鈥榶un? Mayroon kang mga economic demands, mayroon kang mga sectoral demands, tapos here comes the impeachment na 鈥榶un ang balita araw-araw. . . kaya 鈥榶un ang pinag-uusapan sa balita at 鈥榶un din ang pinag-uusapan sa mga communities; so paano mo itatawid 鈥榶ung mga concerns ng karaniwang tao dito sa panawagan sa impeachment?鈥澨�
Youth leaders face similar challenges today, Duran admitted, even for UP students: 鈥淪iguro doon sa challenges, I would still say na, kung paano pa mas mapapatampok pa itong usapin ng impeachment is relate it sa struggles ng mga estudyante, ng mga Iskolar ng Bayan, particularly sa UP.鈥�
Asserting accountability
While law and political science experts agree that the issues emerging from the impeachment must be discussed in relation to pressing economic and social woes, they also highlighted the urgency of asserting that the impeachment process is a measure for accountability, especially since it is also a very political process.
On February 19, 2025, in a UP College of Law鈥檚 forum on the emerging issues surrounding Vice President Duterte鈥檚 impeachment, Assoc. Prof. Gwen De Vera attested to how Estrada鈥檚 impeachment and its subsequent outcome were 鈥渉ighly politicized鈥�, but she nevertheless argued that appreciating the benefits of the impeachment process should not depend on its immediate results.
鈥淪a aking palagay po, ang kahalagahan nitong proseso na 鈥榯o, dahil ito ay inilagay natin sa Saligang Batas, ay ang kakayanan ng Mababang Kapulungan at ng Senado at maging ng Korte Suprema. . . na mapalawig ang pag-unawa natin hindi lamang sa nilalaman ng Saligang Batas kung hindi ang buhay-pulitika sa Pilipinas,鈥� Assoc. Prof. De Vera said.
She also asserted that the impeachment process 鈥淸ay isa sa] pinanghahawakan natin na maaari nating [maging daan para sa]. . . public accountability, na maaari po nating singilin sa mga hinalal natin [at] sa mga na-appoint sa posisyon, na kailangan niyong ipakita hindi lang [ang inyong] kakayanan kung 鈥榙i na kayo ay karapat-dapat na magpatuloy sa inyong posisyon at maglingkod sa bayan.鈥�
Asserting impeachment as a tool for accountability also compelled Palatino to support Corona鈥檚 impeachment in 2011. By then, he was already on his second term as the representative of Kabataan Party-list; and he, together with the other solons from the Makabayan bloc, were among the 188 lawmakers who voted to impeach the Chief Justice.
Even though the impeachment was initiated by the majority coalition, then led by the Liberal Party, Palatino said Makabayan decided to support the chief justice鈥檚 impeachment as part of their calls to hold former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accountable: 鈥淏akit natin sinuportahan itong Corona impeachment? Kasi mayroon tayong panawagan ng accountability sa former President Gloria Arroyo, at hadlang si former Chief Justice Corona dahil sa kanyang parang conflict of interest sa kanyang pagkakaupo bilang chief justice, so kailangan nating tumindig hinggil dito.鈥�
By then, newer social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter were fast becoming spaces for public discourse. And Palatino and other youth leaders at that time saw social media as a more efficient tool to reach and inform the public regarding Corona鈥檚 impeachment, since 鈥渒ailangang kaisa sila doon sa panawagan; kailangang pinapaliwanag sa karaniwang tao 鈥榶ung mga teknikal na usapin ng impeachment.鈥�
鈥淥therwise, the impeachment process will become a technical process, a legal process dominated by politicians and political parties, so kailangan, magkaroon talaga ng sustained involvement ang public. At para [maging] involved ang public, kailangang inform sila, kailangang nauunawaan nila, at kailangang sumusuporta sila.鈥�
For Prof. Jean Encinas-Franco, Assistant Chair of the UP College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, Department of Political Science, given the political nature of impeaching a high-ranking public official, the public has to be informed of what happens in the process because 鈥渢he [impeachment] trial [in the Senate] has to be legitimate and fair before the eyes of the public.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 political because your fellow elected officials are also the ones trying you. It鈥檚 also political because you cannot also discount public opinion permeating the decisions of the members of the impeachment court. It depends on how the trial will actually evolve, especially that it鈥檚 going to be livestreamed and every single detail will be monitored and watched by the public,鈥� Prof. Encinas-Franco said.听
For Palatino, the youth would, therefore, have to take on the role of explaining to the public the broader and long-term implications of the impeachment process.
鈥溾�榊an ang papel ng mga kabataan: ipaliwanag na, more than political names, political families, political parties, kailangan 鈥榶ung political agenda [ay] malinaw, at sa bahagi ng kabataan, kailangang idiin na ito ay bahagi ng kampanya for accountability, for transparency, for good governance–at ang dapat 鈥榶ung ating panawagan after impeachment, ano ang kailangang gawin reporma? Ano ang kailangang gawin sa political system natin? Hindi pwedeng paulit-ulit na lang.鈥�
Palatino further observed that the recent impeachment of Vice President Duterte seems reminiscent of both the Estrada and Corona impeachments 鈥渋n a sense na ang lakas ng sentiment ng public, unpopular na si Sara Duterte; at the same time, 鈥榶ung ilan sa mga miyembro ng ruling party ay pabor dito sa impeachment at sila ang nag-initiate.鈥�
A survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations from December 12 to 18, 2024 found that 41% of Filipinos favored the vice president鈥檚 impeachment with 46% of the respondents citing the allegations regarding her office鈥檚 鈥渦nexplained spending of confidential and intelligence funds鈥� as the basis for her impeachment.
While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had publicly dissuaded the House of Representatives from proceeding with impeaching the vice president, what appeared to be a major turning point in the bitter fallout of the once allied Marcos and Duterte dynasties was the support lent to the fourth impeachment complaint by the president鈥檚 son, Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III, and his first cousin, House of Representatives Speaker Rep. Martin Romualdez, as well as their allies in the Lower House.
The pressing question now is whether or not the Senate would proceed forthwith with the impeachment by holding a special session, an assertion thumbed down by Senate President Francis Escudero, who insisted that the trial should only proceed after President Marcos Jr.鈥檚 fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July, because supposedly there was no public clamor for it.
鈥淎nong there is no clamor for the impeachment of Sara Duterte when 200 plus congressmen have signed the impeachment complaint?鈥� Duran countered. 鈥淚big sabihin, mayroon talagang clamor and malakas 鈥榶ung pagkilos ng mamamayan against this matter. It鈥檚 only a matter of if the Senate is really committed to their mandate na i-heed 鈥榶ung panawagan ng mamamayan.鈥�
Rebutting claims that an impeachment is a mere numbers game, Palatino also averred: 鈥溾�榃ag i-hostage 鈥榶ung panawagan for accountability dito sa partisan politics. Wala naman tayong pinipiling numero [o] petsa; kung ang panawagan ng accountability ay hindi usapin ng mga kunsiderasyon ng mga political parties, ito ay kailangan dahil responsibilidad 鈥榶an ng mga nakaupo.鈥�
For Prof. Encinas-Franco, the longer the trial is delayed, 鈥渢he more na nabibigyan ng bala 鈥榶ung accused para maghanda ng ebidensiya, which is good; but on the other hand, unfair din doon sa mga nagsasabing dapat kapag sinabi 鈥榶ung 鈥榝orthwith鈥� na word sa Constitution, ibig sabihin daw noon immediately.鈥�
Impeachment, the youth, and the elections
Should the trial proceed only after the SONA, the race for Senate seats in the upcoming midterm elections will become even more consequential for the outcome of the trial, inevitably turning Vice President Duterte鈥檚 impeachment into a prominent election issue, as it should be, Prof. Encinas-Franco argued, 鈥減rimarily because we need to see who are those who are running, who are committed to ferreting out the truth, and who are those who want to remain fence-sitters.鈥�
Indeed, Duran saw the vice president鈥檚 impeachment drawing even sharper lines between incumbents and candidates aligned with the Marcos Jr. administration and those aligned with the Dutertes. Her challenge for the youth, however, is to elect 鈥渞epresentatives and Senators [na] 鈥榙i lang tumatakbo para sa interes nila, sa interes ng kung kaninong side sila naki-join or tumakbo, pero 鈥榶ung genuinely seeking to represent the Filipino people.鈥澨�
While Palatino acknowledged that certain politicians, parties, and interests do stand to benefit in any successful impeachment, it is the duty of the youth to discuss not just the importance and implications of the impeachment process, but also to advance alternative political visions beyond dynastic politics.
鈥淪o after impeaching [Vice President] Sara Duterte, what鈥檚 next? 鈥榊an 鈥榶ung sa tingin ko [ay] dapat na bahagi ng narrative at pagpaplano ng ating mga kabataan dahil hindi limited ang mga kabataan natin sa consideration ng eleksyon, consideration ng political parties, consideration ng negotiation [at] transaction ng mga nakaupo. Kailangang ipaliwanag sa tao na ito ay pagpapanagot, [na ito ay] bahagi ng kampanya para sa malinis na pamamahala sa ating bayan.鈥�
The impeachment, therefore, presents an opportunity for the youth to further mobilize for broader calls and campaigns, according to Duran: 鈥淢akiisa tayo sa mga discussions, gamitin natin 鈥榶ung disiplina natin para paingayin 鈥榶ung usapin ng not just impeachment but [鈥榶ung kampanyang] anti-corruption [at] anti-poverty.鈥�
Palatino likewise underscored the importance and responsibility of public vigilance for UP as an academic community: 鈥淕amitin natin ang impluwensiya ng UP para ipaliwanag sa nakaupo sa kapangyarihan, sa mga mambabatas, sa mga senador, sa Malaca帽ang kung ano ang kanilang mga constitutional na mga papel; at higit sa lahat, gamitin ng UP ang kanyang impluwensiya sa komunidad [at] ipaliwanag sa tao kung ano ang impeachment, ano ang kailangang gawin ng taumbayan, ano ang dapat malaman ng taumbayan, at ano ang responsibilidad ng taumbayan bago at habang may impeachment trial at lalung-lalo na pagkatapos ng impeachment trial.鈥�
鈥淏ilang komunidad, kailangang nagkakaisa tayo, nagsusuri, at higit sa lahat, kumikilos,鈥� he urged.
Prof. Encinas-Franco also called on the UP community, as the country鈥檚 only national university, 鈥渒ailangan natin suriing mabuti, subaybayan, panoorin ang paglalatag nitong impeachment court and kumilos kung kinakailangang kumilos. Magsalita sa lahat ng mga fora, sa lahat ng mga espasyo kung saan pwede tayong magsalita; at ibigay ang ating opinyon, kuro-kuro, at 鈥榳ag tayong tumigil na ito ay pag-usapan dahil ito ay isyu ng accountability na napakaimportante sa isang demokrasya.鈥�
