The House of Representatives of the Philippines voted on Wednesday to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte following allegations of corruption and serious breaches of the Constitution. This impeachment marks the first time a vice president of the Philippines has faced such proceedings.

Accusations against Vice President Duterte include culpable violation of the constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes, including misuse of confidential funds from her office and the Department of Education (DepEd), amounting to millions of dollars in public funds. Additionally, she has been accused of threatening President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. with assassination.

If two-thirds of the Senate votes for impeachment, Duterte will be removed from office. The Senate hearing is set to begin in June, after midterm elections.

The impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte was supported by a substantial number of House members, with at least 215 representatives endorsing the complaint on the final session day before Congress adjourned for the midterm elections.

The 1987 Constitution mandates that a verified impeachment complaint endorsed by at least one-third of all House members will lead to a trial in the Senate. Senators acting as jurors will be required to swear an oath during a session before convening as an impeachment court.

Following the vote in the House of Representatives, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez directed House Secretary General Reginald S. Velasco to endorse the impeachment complaint to the Senate.

The impeachment proceedings have been perceived as an escalation in the ongoing feud between Vice President Duterte and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., both hailing from influential political families in the Philippines. President Marcos reiterated the executive branch’s non-involvement in the impeachment process, emphasizing the separation of powers and the constitutional mandate entrusted to the legislature in handling such matters.