Philippines kicks off election campaigning amid VP impeachment drama

11/2/2025 12:08

Campaigning for the Philippines' midterm elections kicked off on Tuesday against a fractured political backdrop, heightened by a high-profile row among warring elites that culminated in last week's impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.



The impeachment could see Duterte removed from her post and banned for life from public office and comes amid an escalating feud between her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, whose once-powerful alliance propelled them to a landslide election victory in 2022.



Their fallout has sent ripples through Philippine politics, turning the midterms into a high-stakes power struggle and a preview of a likely battle between their camps in the 2028 presidential race.



Marcos is limited to a single term under the constitution and is expected to groom a successor, while Duterte would be eligible to run in 2028 if she survives the impeachment.



"The ones fighting in open warfare during the midterms are the same ones who won the historic unity victory in 2022. That’s very significant," said political analyst and former presidential adviser Ronald Llamas.



"They secured the highest vote count in our history, and yet, almost immediately after winning, they began to unravel. This impeachment is just one episode in an unfolding saga that could rival any Netflix series.