Four members of Congress from Cebu voted against the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte during House proceedings on Monday, May 11.
Voting “no” were Rep. Cutie Del Mar of Cebu City’s North District, Rep. Karen Flores-Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd District, Rep. Sun Shimura of Cebu’s 4th District, and Rep. Girlie Veloso of the Malasakit@Bayanihan party-list, who is from Carcar City.
The House of Representatives, however, overwhelmingly approved the impeachment case against Duterte for a second time, with 255 of the 290 lawmakers in attendance voting in favor of advancing the complaint to the Senate for trial.
The vote clears the way for a possible Senate trial that could determine her continued eligibility for public office, including a potential presidential bid in 2028.
The impeachment case is anchored on allegations of misuse of public funds and alleged public threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and a relative who previously served as House Speaker.
Duterte had also been impeached on similar grounds in 2025, but the Supreme Court stopped the process on a technical issue before a Senate trial could begin.
The case was later revived this year after a House committee found sufficient basis to proceed.
In a written response, Duterte dismissed the allegations, describing the case as “nothing more than a scrap of paper” and declined to attend committee hearings, which she said were politically motivated.
Following the House vote, Duterte’s legal team said in a statement that “the burden now rests on the accusers to substantiate their claims” according to the law.
Monday’s vote is seen as a key indicator of support for the Marcos administration in the lower chamber, which is composed largely of district-elected lawmakers who often align with the sitting president.
The Senate, however, presents a more uncertain arena, with its 24 nationally elected members often operating under shifting political alliances.
Duterte remains a leading figure in early surveys for the presidency, despite the political fallout from her break with Marcos, who she previously allied with during the 2022 elections.
Their partnership collapsed amid growing political tensions, including investigations into alleged fund misuse in her office.
At the height of public controversy, Duterte made a late-night online statement in which she said she told someone that “if I get killed, go kill BBM [President Marcos], [First Lady] Liza Araneta, and [House Speaker] Martin Romualdez”.
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