DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The impeachment vote against Vice President Sara Duterte revealed divisions in Mindanao and Davao Region, long touted as the Duterte dynasty’s stronghold.
Based on the final tally of Monday’s votes, 257 members of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the impeachment complaints against the vice president, 26 opposed and nine abstained.
Of the 61 district representatives from Mindanao, 41 voted for the impeachment, eight opposed, four abstained, and seven were absent.
Davao split
Of the eleven district representatives from Davao Region’s five provinces and the chartered city of Davao, the vote was five to four.
Five lawmaker voted in favor of Duterte’s impeachment, tying the five other representatives—including members of the Duterte dynasty in Congress—who opposed the move.
Davao Oriental 1st District Representative Cheeno Almario abstained from voting while Claude Bautista (Davao Occidental) did not vote.
Those who voted in favor of the impeachment included Davao del Sur Representative John Tracy Cagas, Davao de Oro Representatives Leonel Ceniza and Carmen Zamora, and Davao del Norte Representatives Jose Manuel Lagdameo and De Carlo Uy.
Duterte’s family members in the House – Paolo Duterte (Davao City first district) and his son (Davao City second district) voted against the impeachment, as with their ally Isidro Ungab (Davao City third district).
Paolo’s cousin, Harold Duterte who represents Pwersang Pilipinong Pandagat Partylist (PPP) also voted no.
Rep. Nelson Dayanghirang (Davao Oriental first district) was the only other no vote from Davao Region who does not belong to the Duterte clan.
The tally revealed further cracks within Duterte’s influence in Davao Region. Zamora and Uy were once officers of the vice president’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago alliance before they were booted out in 2024.
Lagdameo is the brother of Anton Lagdameo, the Special Assistant to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and grandson of the late banana scion Antonio Floirendo, an ally of Marcos Jr’s father.
Eight votes only
Of the eight Mindanawon representatives who opposed the impeachment, four of them come outside of Davao Region.
This includes Shiryn Bañas-Nograles (General Santos), Isidro Lumayag (South Cotabato first district), Dale Corvera (Agusan del Norte) and Laarni Lavin Roque (Bukidnon fourth district).
Four Mindanawons from party-lists supported the impeachment (Abamin, Asenso Pinoy, Kusug Tausug and TUCP).
Dumper Partylist Rep. Claudine Bautista, an ally of the Dutertes, was absent during the votes.
Mindanao representatives, whose families once supported the Duterte presidency in 2016, now support the impeachment of Sara.
Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong defended their votes for impeachment, saying, “This is not about personalities. This is about institutions, accountability, and the rule of law.”
Meanwhile, in Davao City, a local councilor hailed the House members for opposing Duterte’s impeachment.
Councilor Danilo Dayanhirang (Davao City 2nd District), said their votes were an act of “political maturity” amid political pressure.
“To those congressmen who voted ‘no,’ history will remember your courage to stand firm amid intense political pressure,” he said.
In a recent survey by OCTA research held in late March, majority or 69% of their respondents favored the impeachment trial to push through. Mindanao’s results showed 61%.– With a report from Wendyl Geronimo (davaotoday,com)
