From seven articles of impeachment last year, the 2026 impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte only features four articles of impeachment.

But this shouldn't be considered a downgrade, says House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who is an endorser of one of the two impeachment complaints against Duterte that has prospered.

De Lima, a prospective impeachment prosecutor, enumerated the four articles of impeachment this year as follows:

- Misuse and irregular liquidation of confidential funds totaling at least P500 million in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million in the Department of Education (DepEd);

- Amassing unexplained wealth and failing to fully disclose assets in her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN);

- Bribery and corruption involving officials under her authority; and

- Contracting or soliciting acts of violence, including alleged threats against top government officials.

The articles were approved on Monday morning, May 4 during the final impeachment hearing of the House Committee on Justice chaired by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro.

Asked why the committee settled on four articles instead of six or seven like last year's list, De Lima said similar grounds were consolidated to make the case clearer and more coherent.

“Kinondense na lang lahat para mas malinaw, para mas maikli rin especially in terms of presentation of evidence para mas klaro para mas coherent. So yung mga similar grounds ay kinonsolidate na lang into one,” De Lima explained.

(Everything was condensed for clarity and brevity, especially in terms of presenting evidence, so it would be clearer and more coherent. So the similar grounds were consolidated into one.)

The two active impeachment raps are the Saballa et al complaint, endorsed by De Lima; and the Cabreba complaint, endorsed by Deputy Speaker La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V and Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr.

“So from a total of six articles doon sa Saballa et al and I think ganoon din sa Cabrera six or seven articles of impeachment of proposed grounds of the complaints ay ginawa na pong apat na lang pero covered lahat,” De Lima added.

(So from a total of six articles in the Saballa case, and I think six or seven articles of impeachment in the Cabrera complaints, these were reduced to just four, but all grounds are still covered.)

The former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary said a conviction on even one article would be enough to unseat Duterte as Vice President and permanently disqualify her from holding public office.

“Kahit isa lang (Just one is enough), underscored De Lima, who is also a former senator.

Last Feb. 18, Duterte announced her intention to run for president in the 2028 national elections. Five days later, the House of Representatives initiated this year's impeachment case against the Vice President.

Referring to Monday's hearing on the articles of impeachment, De Lima said: “Pinadagdag din na substantive correction po tungkol po doon sa failure to divest her business interest sa isang company. Kasi sa Constitution po malinaw po iyan na kapag nakaupo ka as President, Vice President, Cabinet Members, etc. ay kailangan wala kang participation in any business."

(A substantive correction was also added regarding the failure to divest her business interest in a company. Because the Constitution clearly states that when you sit as President, Vice President, Cabinet Members, etc., you must not have participation in any business.)

“Meron pong company na nakita natin sa mga SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) records, yung Metro Chow company or Corporation na nandun pa rin siya as shareholder and also as member of the board of directors,” she said.

(We found in SEC records a company, Metro Chow Corporation, where she remains listed as a shareholder and also as a member of the board of directors.)

She said the alleged business participation was included under the article on unexplained wealth because it raised a constitutional issue.

Duterte was impeached last year via the constitutional "fast track" mode. However, no Senate impeachment trial took place.

The seven articles of impeachment against Duterte in 2025 were the following:

- Conspiracy to assassinate President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez;

- Malversation of P612.5 million in confidential funds;

- Bribery and corruption in DepEd;

- Unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets;

- Involvement in extrajudicial killings (EJK);

- Destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder; and

- The totality of respondent's conduct as Vice President

For Vice President Duterte to be impeached for the second time in as many years, the committee report and four-item articles of impeachment must be endorsed and subsequently approved in House plenary.

“Pag makarating na po ito sa Senado at magkaroon na po ng trial at during the judgment ng mga [senator-] judges of the impeachment court kahit isa lang pong article ang ma-uphold nila at ma-convict si VP Sara (When this reaches the Senate and a trial takes place, during the judgment of the senator-judges of the impeachment court, even if just one article is upheld and VP Sara is convicted), that should be enough to really convict her and then to remove her from office and to permanently disqualify her to hold further public office,” De Lima said.