Senators exploit Sara Duterte impeachment to grandstand, secure votes for 2028 — expert

Some senators are exploiting the highly contentious impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte to grandstand and sustain their spotlight, with the aim of earning electoral support ahead of the 2028 polls, according to an expert on Sunday.

The Senate, mandated to try Duterte, voted to archive the articles of impeachment with a vote of 19-4-1 last week. Some senators branded as anti-impeachment, notably Senate President Chiz Escudero and Senator Imee Marcos, delivered a sharply-worded speech in explaining their vote to archive the complaint, contending that politics is undeniably at play in initiating the case at the House of Representatives. 

A conviction could have removed Duterte from office and permanently barred her from seeking one, derailing her alleged ambitions to succeed ally-turned-rival President Marcos Jr.

However, Ateneo de Manila University Political Science professor Arjan Aguirre argued that senators should not diminish the impeachment issue as pure politicking between the VP and the administration, given the severity of the allegations, particularly involving the alleged irregularities in the utilization of the P612.5 million confidential funds of her office and the Department of Education. 

Duterte headed the DepEd for nearly two years until she tendered her irrevocable resignation on 19 June, confirming a deep rift and falling out with Marcos and allies.

Aguirre said the Senate should have carried on with the trial, to allow the defense to address the allegations in the proper avenue, if only senators had not ended up in “toxic mudslinging.” 

“Other political actors use this to stand out, to be remembered by the public,” he said in an interview. “They use it to mobilize votes, to attract their supporters.” 

Other political factors to be considered are that some senators may be advancing or protecting their interests as part of the preparations for the 2028 presidential elections. This is particularly relevant to “presidential wannabees,” according to Aguirre. 

Half of the 24-member Senate will have their term expire in 2028. Some may run for re-election, while others may seek other public office, either local, such as mayor or member of the House, or presidential or VP, if they are already in a term-limited. 

Aguirre said all these grandstandings are a road to 2028, which is why some senators ride with the impeachment, among other key issues.

“We can say that this is a useful political tool to make them more resonant with the people. This is what is called the politicization of such developments in our politics.” 

Earlier, the Supreme Court handed down a unanimous verdict declaring the articles of impeachment against the VP "unconstitutional,” null, and void ab initio (from the beginning) for violating the one-year bar, which prohibits the filing of more than one impeachment case against the same official within a one-year period.

To recall, Duterte was slapped with three impeachment complaints in under two weeks in December last year, but was only officially impeached on 5 February after the fourth complaint was signed and endorsed by 215 members of the House. 

The votes overwhelmingly surpassed the one-third threshold to bypass committee hearings and be transmitted directly to the Senate for trial — a shortcut route allowed by the Constitution — and constituted the articles of impeachment.

The SC, however, said the expedition trampled Duterte’s right to due process as she was not given the opportunity to counter the allegations against her — a requirement, the House countered, not found in the Constitution. 

The House remained headstrong and petitioned the SC to reverse the ruling, despite the high court reiterating that the decision was immediately executory. 

The Senate, which abided by the SC verdict that it did not acquire jurisdiction over Duterte’s impeachment case, vowed to reconvene as an impeachment court and continue with the VP’s trial should the high court reverse the decision in favor of the House. 

Duterte is facing grave accusations of graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and high crimes.

The House laid out seven articles of impeachment, centered on her alleged assassination plot against Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez, and the misappropriation of her multi-million peso confidential funds.

Duterte had repeatedly denied allegations of corruption, insisting that her confidential fund usage was lawful and that her remarks about assassinating the Marcos family were “taken out of context.”