Sara Duterte-Carpio

Vice President of the Philippines — Office of the Vice President

About Sara Duterte-Carpio

Key facts Role: Vice President of the Philippines Organisation: Office of the Vice President Country: Philippines Sector: Politics & Government As of 29 September, Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio of the Philippines is on trial before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court. She is also the clear front-runner to become president in 2028. Both facts shape Philippine politics. On 23 September senators voted 13-1 to change how the two-thirds majority needed to convict her is counted. It will now be calculated on the senators "legally and factually capable" of taking part, not on a fixed 24 seats, Philstar and NewsWatch Plus reported. If 20 senators remain eligible, 14 votes would convict instead of 16. A conviction would disqualify her from public office, the BBC has reported. Her lawyers have said they will keep taking part "ad cautelam" and reserve all legal remedies. Two separate petitions challenging the ruling have been filed with the Supreme Court. A Senate court spokesman said on 27 September that the trial would continue unless the Supreme Court issued a restraining order. No such order had been issued, and hearings resumed on 28 September. The proceedings The case is the second attempt to remove her. The House first impeached her in February 2025. In July 2025 the Supreme Court ruled that effort barred by the constitution's one-year rule on successive impeachments. On 11 May 2026 the House impeached her again by 257 votes to 25, with nine abstentions, and sent the articles to the Senate two days later. The trial opened on 6 July. The articles, as consolidated by the House justice committee and reported by the Inquirer, contain four allegations. First, misuse of confidential funds: P500m at the Office of the Vice President and P112.5m at the Department of Education. Second, unexplained wealth disproportionate to her lawful income. Third, payments to education department officials to get round procurement rules. Fourth, contracting for the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the First Lady and the former House speaker, along with grave threats and incitement to sedition. The fourth article stems from a November 2024 online press conference in which she said she had told someone to kill the three "if I get killed". These remain allegations. She denies wrongdoing. She called the complaint "nothing more than a scrap of paper" in a written response, the BBC reported, and she refused to attend House hearings she described as politically motivated. Her defence argues that the November 2024 remark was "a mere response to a question" and not a threat, GMA News reported on 14 July. On the confidential funds, her lawyers told the court on 7 September that unusual names on the payment receipts were aliases used for classified work. Prosecutors say the issue is whether spending rules were followed. The defence says the burden of proof lies with the prosecution. The court is now hearing the unexplained-wealth article. Political standing Her political strength has held. A Pulse Asia survey conducted from 28 June to 6 July 2026 found 49% of respondents would vote for her if the 2028 election were held then, with support of 87% in Mindanao, the Inquirer reported. Former vice-president Leni Robredo was second on 26%. OCTA Research reported in September that a Duterte–Padilla ticket led a Robredo–Aquino pairing by 48% to 36%, the narrowest gap it has recorded. She announced her intention to run for president in February 2026. Background Her career is closely tied to her family's political base. In 2022 she led the polls to succeed her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. Instead she allied with Marcos, ran for vice-president and won in a landslide, the BBC noted. That alliance later collapsed. Her father has been held in The Hague since March 2025, awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity over his drug war, the BBC reported. What to watch: the Supreme Court's handling of the threshold petitions, whether she testifies or appears in person, and the final Senate vote. The court's spokesman has said senators want the Supreme Court to rule before that vote. Duterte-Carpio ranks 38th because she leads the 2028 race and commands a powerful political base. The unresolved trial puts her future in doubt, and as vice-president she holds little executive power of her own. Sources Philstar, Defense: No decision yet on questioning vote to convict , 29 Sep 2026 GMA News, LIVE UPDATES: Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial (September 28, 2026) Manila Times, Duterte trial to proceed Monday unless Supreme Court issues restraining order , 27 Sep 2026 Philstar, Voting 13-1, Senate court lowers threshold to convict VP Sara Duterte , Sep 2026 NewsWatch Plus, Senate impeachment vote ruling challenged before SC , 25 Sep 2026 The Manila Times, 'SC cases will not derail impeachment trial' , 28 Sep 2026 GMA News, LIVE UPDATES: Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial (September 29, 2026) Inquirer (Cebu Daily News), House transmits impeachment case of Sara Duterte to Senate , 13 May 2026 BBC News, Philippine VP Sara Duterte impeached for a second time , 11 May 2026 SunStar, Senate opens Duterte impeachment trial... , 6 Jul 2026 GMA News, VP Sara Duterte's kill remark vs. Marcos a 'response,' not a threat, says Defense , 14 Jul 2026 Rappler, Names in acknowledgement receipts 'aliases' — Sara Duterte defense , 7 Sep 2026 VERA Files, Sara Duterte impeachment trial, Week 10 Inquirer, Pulse Asia: 1 in 2 Pinoys pick Sara Duterte for president , 24 Jul 2026 BusinessMirror, Sara-Robin 'ticket' narrows lead over Leni-Bam tandem , 25 Sep 2026 Supreme Court of the Philippines, G.R. No. 278353 (Duterte v. House of Representatives), 25 Jul 2025

Why this entry is on the list

Duterte-Carpio ranks 38th because she leads the 2028 race and commands a powerful political base. A Pulse Asia survey conducted from 28 June to 6 July 2026 found 49% of respondents would vote for her if the 2028 election were held then. The unresolved Senate impeachment trial, in which she denies wrongdoing, puts her future in doubt, and as vice-president she holds little executive power of her own.