All three congressional representatives of Negros Oriental cast affirmative votes in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte during the historic House of Representatives session held on Sunday, May 11, 2026, joining a broad national majority that approved the articles of impeachment with a final tally of 257 YES votes, 25 NO votes, and 9 abstentions.
According to a report by Digicast Negros, the three Negros Oriental lawmakers — Emmanuel Iway of the 1st District, Ma. Isabel Sagarbarria of the 2nd District, and Janice Degamo of the 3rd District — all voted in favor of the impeachment complaint, which cited multiple grounds including alleged betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption, and misuse of confidential funds.
The vote marked one of the most consequential actions taken by the lower chamber in recent Philippine political history, and the articles of impeachment are now set to be transmitted to the Senate of the Philippines, which will convene as an impeachment court to hear the case.
Negros Island Region Votes Unanimously in Favor
The three Negros Oriental representatives were part of a broader unanimous showing from the entire Negros Island Region, which encompasses both Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, as well as Siquijor province.
From Negros Occidental, all eight representatives voted YES: Julio Ledesma of the 1st District, Alfredo Marañon III of the 2nd District, Javier Miguel Benitez of the 3rd District, Jeffrey Ferrer of the 4th District, Emilio Bernardino Yulo of the 5th District, Mercedes Alvarez of the 6th District, Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of Bacolod City, and Manuel Fredrick Ko of the Abang Lingkod Party-list.
Zaldy Villa, the lone district representative of Siquijor, also voted YES, completing a clean sweep of affirmative votes from all legislative districts within the Negros Island Region.
Charges Cited in the Impeachment Complaint
The articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte — daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte — covered a wide range of serious allegations. According to the complaint as reported by Digicast Negros, the grounds cited include:
- Betrayal of public trust
- Culpable violation of the Constitution
- Corruption and unexplained wealth
- Misuse of confidential funds
- Bribery
- Alleged threats made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez
The complaint had been building momentum in the weeks leading up to the May 11 vote, as the House leadership certified the impeachment complaint and secured the signatures required to bring it to a full plenary vote.
Full House Tally: 257 to 25, With 9 Abstentions
The 291-member House of Representatives cast its votes on May 11, 2026, producing an overwhelming margin in favor of impeachment. The final count stood at 257 YES votes, 25 NO votes, and 9 abstentions — a result that far exceeded the one-third threshold required under the Philippine Constitution to send the impeachment to the Senate for trial.
Among the verified NO votes were Paolo Duterte of Davao City's 1st District, Omar Vincent Duterte of Davao Occidental's 2nd District, and Isidro Ungab of Davao City's 3rd District — all representatives from areas closely associated with the Duterte political base. Also voting NO were Rachel Marguerite Del Mar of Cebu City's 1st District, Sun Shimura of Cebu's 4th District, Karen Hope Garcia of Cebu's 3rd District, Maria Vanessa Aumentado of Bohol's 2nd District, and Alexie Tutor of Bohol's 3rd District.
Other verified NO votes came from Kiko Barzaga of Cavite's 4th District, Shirlyn Bañas-Nograles of General Santos' Lone District, Alfelito Bascug of Agusan del Sur's 1st District, Dale Corvera of Agusan del Norte's Lone District, Leandro Legarda Leviste of Batangas' 1st District, Paolo Henry Marcoleta of SAGIP Party-list, Roger Mercado of Southern Leyte's 1st District, Robert Nazal of Bagong Henerasyon Party-list, Girlie Veloso of Malasakit at Bayanihan Party-list, Julius Cesar Vergara of Nueva Ecija's 3rd District, and Jesus Suntay of Quezon City's 4th District.
Among those who abstained were Edgar Erice of Caloocan's 2nd District and Audrey Zubiri of Bukidnon's 3rd District.
Senate to Convene as Impeachment Court
Under the Philippine Constitution, the Senate of the Philippines is constitutionally mandated to sit as an impeachment court once the articles of impeachment are transmitted from the House. The 24-member Senate will act as both judge and jury in the trial proceedings.
A conviction requires a vote of two-thirds of all Senate members — or at least 16 senators — to remove Duterte from office. If convicted, she would not only be removed from the Vice Presidency but would also be permanently barred from holding any public office in the Philippines.
The timeline for the Senate trial has not yet been officially announced as of the date of this report, May 12, 2026.
Sara Duterte's Position in Philippine Government
Sara Duterte serves as the Vice President of the Philippines, having won the 2022 national elections in a landslide alongside President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under a political alliance that has since fractured significantly.
Her relationship with the Marcos administration deteriorated publicly over the course of 2023 and 2024, leading to her resignation from the Cabinet and an increasingly adversarial posture between the two camps. The impeachment complaint and the overwhelming House vote on May 11 represent the most consequential institutional expression of that political break.
The case against Duterte, including the allegations of threats against Marcos, Araneta-Marcos, and Romualdez, has drawn intense national and international attention as the Philippines navigates one of its most turbulent political periods in recent memory.
Negros Oriental Representatives on Record
The three Negros Oriental lawmakers who cast YES votes — Iway, Sagarbarria, and Degamo — are now formally on record as having supported the impeachment of the sitting Vice President. Their votes align with the broad majority position of the House and place the entire Negros Island Region firmly in the pro-impeachment column as of the May 11 session.
Digicast Negros, which first reported the breakdown of the Negros Oriental delegation's votes, attributed the information to official House records and vote tallies released following the session.
The proceeding now shifts to the Senate, where the trial's outcome will ultimately determine whether Sara Duterte remains in office or becomes the first sitting Vice President in Philippine history to be removed through the impeachment process.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of Cong. Janice Degamo/Facebook