Vice President Sara Duterte was served with a Senate impeachment summons and the corresponding articles of impeachment on Wednesday [1].
The delivery of these documents marks the official transition of the case to the Senate, which now sits as an impeachment court to determine if the Vice President should be removed from office.
According to a spokesperson for the Office of the Vice President, the documents arrived at the OVP office in Manila at approximately 10:40 a.m. [2]. Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said the summons was "duly served" [3].
The process began after the House of Representatives transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate. That transmission followed a vote in which 257 members of the House approved the measures [4].
There is some variation regarding the timeline for the Vice President's formal response. A Senate spokesperson said she will have 10 days to respond to the allegations [5]. However, other reports indicate the deadline for the reply is June 1, 2026 [3].
This legal proceeding represents a significant escalation in the political tension surrounding the Vice President's tenure. The Senate must now follow established court rules to evaluate the evidence presented in the articles of impeachment, and decide on the validity of the charges [5].
“"Duly served"”
The formal service of the summons moves the impeachment process from the accusatory phase in the House to the trial phase in the Senate. Because the House passed the articles with a substantial majority of 257 members, the proceedings carry significant political momentum, placing the Vice President in a precarious legal position as she prepares her defense.
