The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) issued a stern warning to lawmakers on Sunday, declaring that any official who votes to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte will be permanently blacklisted from the party.
The announcement came just one day before the House of Representatives is scheduled to hold a crucial plenary vote on the articles of impeachment.
The Duterte-led party made it clear that those supporting the move should not expect any political alliance with them in the future.
“PDP will take the same principled stand. Those who vote for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte cannot expect political refuge in PDP,” the party said in a statement.
The party further intensified its stance by threatening to challenge these lawmakers in their own districts during future elections.
“They will not be allowed to cross over to the party. They will be blacklisted from running under the PDP banner. And where necessary, PDP will field and support a competitive candidate in their district,” the statement added.
Describing the move to oust the Vice President as a “betrayal of the people’s mandate,” PDP cited the 32 million Filipinos who voted for Duterte in the 2022 elections as the moral basis for their opposition.
“PDP will not be a shelter for officials who participate in what we view as a partisan attempt to overturn the will of more than 32 million Filipinos who elected Vice President Sara Duterte. PDP stands with constitutional order. PDP stands with the sovereign will of the people,” the group asserted.
Despite the party’s threats, Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon stated that the numbers appear to be stacked against the Vice President, with over 200 lawmakers expected to vote in favor of the impeachment.
Under the 1987 Constitution, only 106 votes—or one-third of the House membership—are required to transmit the case to the Senate for trial.