PARTIDO Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Saturday, May 9, 2026, warned lawmakers supporting the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte that they would not be welcomed into the party.
In a statement issued May 10, the party accused impeachment proponents of using the constitutional process as a political weapon rather than a legitimate mechanism for accountability amid mounting national issues.
“Ang sinumang opisyal na boboto pabor sa impeachment ni VP Sara Duterte ay hindi maaaring umasa ng pampulitikang kanlungan sa PDP (Any official who votes in favor of impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte should not expect political refuge in the PDP),” the party said.
The party said officials supporting the impeachment complaint would not be allowed to transfer to PDP-Laban or run under the party’s banner in future elections.
PDP-Laban also signaled plans to support rival candidates against lawmakers who vote in favor of impeachment proceedings.
“At kung kinakailangan, maghahain at susuporta ang PDP ng matibay na kandidato laban sa kanila sa kani-kanilang distrito (If necessary, PDP will field and support strong candidates against them in their respective districts),” it added.
The party maintained that the impeachment drive against Duterte forms part of long-term political maneuvering ahead of the 2028 national elections and no longer centers solely on constitutional accountability.
PDP-Laban argued that the country continues to face pressing concerns such as rising prices, corruption allegations, weakening public trust in institutions, and broader governance issues, making the impeachment push appear politically motivated rather than focused on accountability.
The party also referenced reports that some organized groups, including religious and civic organizations, were allegedly considering political consequences for officials supporting the impeachment bid.
While the party said the reports remain unverified, it said that elected officials must still face political accountability for their decisions.
“Hindi ito pananakot. Ito ay pananagutang pampulitika (This is not intimidation. This is political accountability),” PDP Laban said.
PDP-Laban also argued that the impeachment move seeks to undermine the mandate Duterte received from more than 32 million Filipino voters in the 2022 elections.
“PDP stands with the constitutional order. PDP stands with the sovereign will of the people. PDP stands against the weaponization of impeachment for political elimination,” the party added.
The statement came as impeachment complaints against Duterte continued to draw scrutiny in the House of Representatives. Critics accused the Vice President of misusing confidential and intelligence funds, among other issues raised during congressional hearings and public debates. Duterte and her allies denied wrongdoing and described the allegations as politically motivated attacks aimed at weakening the Duterte bloc ahead of the next presidential race.
On May 11, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Duterte for the second time, with 257 lawmakers voting in favor, 25 against, and nine abstaining — far exceeding the constitutional requirement needed to transmit the complaint to the Senate for trial.
The political landscape in the Senate also shifted shortly before the House vote after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, considered an ally of the Duterte family, emerged as Senate president. Cayetano later said impeachment proceedings should follow constitutional processes and evidence.
Several lawmakers from the Davao Region publicly opposed the impeachment, including Representatives Nelson Dayanghirang Jr., Omar Vincent Duterte, Paolo Duterte, and Isidro Ungab.
Meanwhile, the positions of Representatives Cheeno Miguel Almario, Claude Bautista, John Tracy Cagas, Leonel Ceniza, Jose Manuel Lagdameo, De Carlo Uy, and Maria Carmen Zamora had yet to be publicly confirmed.
Political observers expect the impeachment controversy to remain a dominant national issue in the coming months as political groups begin positioning for the 2028 elections. DEF
