In a pivotal moment that underscored the deepening rift between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, 215 members of the House of Representatives voted earlier this year to impeach Duterte — a move widely seen as a political gamble with uncertain consequences.
Many anticipated a backlash, particularly in areas with strong support for the Duterte family. But as the results of the 2025 midterm elections came in, early trends suggested that most of those lawmakers had weathered the storm.
Initial tallies indicated that more than 150 of the 215 pro-impeachment legislators had either secured reelection or won new posts in local or national office. Several others were term-limited or did not seek any position. While the official canvassing and the final allocation of party-list seats remain pending, early results showed the impeachment vote did not significantly derail the political trajectories of most signatories.
The trend was particularly notable in Mindanao, a region long considered a Duterte stronghold. Of the 41 lawmakers from the region who supported the impeachment, 29 are currently on track to victory. The results raise questions about the current strength of Duterte’s influence even in his traditional bases of support.
Not all lawmakers emerged unscathed, however. Among the notable defeats were those of Zamboanga City’s Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe, who lost his mayoral bid; Laguna’s Dan Fernandez, who fell short in his gubernatorial run; and veteran Manila lawmaker Benny Abante, who lost in the sixth district.
Another casualty was Stella Quimbo who lost her mayoral bid in Marikina.
Meanwhile, 1-Rider Partylist Rep. Ramon Gutierrez, a member of the House prosecution panel tasked with pursuing the impeachment case against Vice President Duterte, is in danger of losing his seat as his party-list teeters on the edge of the vote threshold. His possible exclusion would be among the few direct casualties within the impeachment’s frontline legal team.
These outcomes suggest that while most survived, the risks were real for some.
Viewed as a bloc, however, the 215 lawmakers have largely defied predictions of a widespread political fallout.
Though the full picture remains incomplete with party-list results still to be finalized, the majority of the impeachment backers appear to have maintained or even advanced their political standing.
The outcome adds another layer to the ongoing political realignment between the Marcos and Duterte camps. What began as a formidable alliance in 2022 has since fractured, giving way to competing coalitions, legal entanglements, and intensified power struggles.
The International Criminal Court’s arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte further complicated the already volatile political climate.
While the long-term implications remain to be seen, the 2025 elections suggest that support for Sara Duterte’s impeachment has not, for now, resulted in the electoral consequences many had predicted.