DAVAO City Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang commended lawmakers who voted against the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying their decision reflected political maturity and an understanding of public sentiment.
During his privilege speech at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, Dayanghirang thanked the congressmen who opposed the impeachment move in the House of Representatives.
"We Dabawenyos appreciate these people who voted no on the proposed determination of probable cause that the matter of impeachment be brought to the Senate," he said.
On May 11, 2026, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte after 255 lawmakers voted to adopt House Resolution 989 and Committee Report 261 containing the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President.
Twenty-six lawmakers voted against the impeachment, while nine abstained.
The impeachment made Duterte the first official in Philippine history to be impeached twice.
Dayanghirang said that while the majority decision prevailed, the minority position still deserved respect.
“Although the majority wins, we respect the minority, and we accept defeat,” he said, adding that many people in the Davao Region appreciated the lawmakers who voted against the impeachment.
The complaints against Duterte stemmed from allegations involving the misuse of confidential funds, abuse of authority, and betrayal of public trust.
Duterte served as Education secretary from 2022 until she resigned from the Cabinet in July 2024.
As of May 11, lawmakers who voted against the impeachment included Bohol Representatives Maria Vanessa Aumentado and Kristine Alexie Tutor; General Santos Representative Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles; Cavite Representative Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga; Agusan del Norte Representative Dale Corvera; and Davao Oriental Representative Nelson Dayanghirang.
Also voting against the impeachment were Cebu representatives Rachel Marguerite Del Mar, Karen Hope Garcia, Sun Shimura, and Pablo John Garcia; Davao City's Paolo Duterte, Omar Duterte, and Isidro Ungab; Laguna's Ramil Hernandez; Batangas's Leandro Legarda Leviste; South Cotabato's Isidro Lumayag; Southern Leyte's Roger Mercado; Bukidnon's Laarni Roque; and Quezon City's Jesus Suntay.
Party-list representatives who voted no included Harold Duterte of PPP, Rolando Macasaet of SSS-GSIS, Paolo Marcoleta of SAGIP, Robert Nazal of BH, Richelle Singson of Ako Ilokano Ako, Girlie Veloso of Malasakit at Bayanihan, and Julius Cesar Vergara of Nueva Ecija. RGP
