The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) threatened political retaliation against lawmakers backing the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, warning that those who vote to send the case to the Senate would be blacklisted from the party and targeted in future elections.
In a pointed warning issued Saturday, the Party once headed by former President Rodrigo Duterte declared that House members supporting the impeachment effort would be denied political refuge under PDP and could face rival candidates backed by the party in their own districts.
“Those who vote for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte cannot expect political refuge in PDP,” the party said.
“They will not be allowed to cross over to the party. They will be blacklisted from running under the PDP banner. And where necessary, PDP will field and support a competitive candidate in their district,” it added.
The threat came as the House of Representatives moved closer to a plenary vote on multiple impeachment complaints against Duterte involving allegations of misuse of confidential funds, failure to fully disclose assets, bribery and threats against high-ranking officials.
Among the allegations raised during the House hearings were claims that P125 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President was disbursed within 24 hours, as well as accusations that Duterte failed to fully declare assets and used public funds improperly.
Threats
Lawmakers also cited a viral video in which Duterte allegedly threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Duterte was first impeached by the House on 5 February 2025 after more than 200 lawmakers endorsed the complaint. The Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate, which later convened as an impeachment court before remanding the case back to the House.
The Supreme Court eventually declared the impeachment complaint unconstitutional, ruling that the one-year ban on multiple impeachment proceedings had already been triggered.
The High Court stressed, however, that the ruling did not absolve Duterte of the allegations against her.
Four new impeachment complaints were later consolidated this year and reviewed by the House Committee on Justice, which declared them sufficient in substance.
PDP, led by Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, insisted the warning was not meant to intimidate lawmakers but to enforce “accountability.”
“No refuge. No party endorsement. No PDP banner for those who betray the people’s mandate,” the party said.
‘Playing politics’
But lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc accused Duterte’s allies of trying to strong-arm Congress into blocking the impeachment process.
“Clearly it is PDP that is playing politics by threatening members of Congress,” Makabayan said in a statement.
“With the Vice President unable to debunk the evidence presented during the impeachment hearings, her allies have now resorted to petty threats,” it added.
The House is expected to proceed with interpellations and deliberations before lawmakers vote on whether to formally transmit the impeachment complaint to the Senate.