Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has stated she will not resign before her impeachment trial in the Senate, scheduled to begin in June. Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, made the statement on Friday, February 7, 2025, following the House of Representatives' approval of the impeachment proceedings against her.
Duterte has been accused of misusing 254 million pesos (approximately 4.3 million dollars) from confidential funds of the Department of Education, which she headed until her resignation in June 2024. She is also facing accusations stemming from controversial statements she made in December, where she allegedly threatened to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. if she were to be assassinated. Duterte has denied these accusations.
The impeachment trial will commence after the mid-term elections on May 12, where 12 Senate seats and the entire House of Representatives will be contested. These elections are seen as a referendum on President Marcos Jr.'s administration and a test of the Duterte family's popularity.
If the impeachment trial is successful, Duterte would be removed from her position as Vice President and barred from holding public office, preventing her from running for president in 2028.