The Senate temporarily halted the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on June 10 after voting 18–5 to remand the case to the House of Representatives for certification on constitutional compliance .

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero clarified that the motion does not end the impeachment proceedings. He said the court is “asking the House to affirm that all constitutional requirements were followed.”

On June 11, the House approved a resolution unanimously, certifying that the articles of impeachment met constitutional procedures, as required by the Senate. Escudero then appointed veteran lawyer-tone spokesperson Reginald Tongol to communicate proceedings clearly to the public.

Filed in December 2024, the complaint accuses Duterte of:

• Misusing ₱612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds during her tenure at both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
  
• Instructing staff to forge receipts and cover up the alleged misuse.
  
• Threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
  
• Allowing extrajudicial killings during her earlier period as Davao City mayor.
  

House prosecutors cited official budget records, whistleblower statements, and internal communications as evidence.

Fallen allies and public reaction

The impeachment trial has strained the Duterte–Marcos alliance. The case has intensified after Duterte, once Marcos’s running mate, publicly threatened his family last November.

Protests erupted outside the Senate complex in Pasay following the Senate’s decision. Critics include Church leaders and constitutional law expert Howard Calleja, who labeled the move “lawbreaking”. Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of five dissenters, called the remand a procedural misstep given that Senate jurors had already been sworn in.

Analysts see the impeachment as a strategic move ahead of the 2028 election. If convicted by two-thirds of the Senate, Duterte will lose her current post and face a lifetime ban from public office. If acquitted, she may emerge as a dominant political force in 2028.

The Senate has yet to set a new date for the trial’s resumption, pending receipt of the House’s certification. Escudero has said sessions could restart in July after the State of the Nation Address.