The political landscape in the Philippines shifted dramatically this Monday as Senator Rodante Marcoleta was taken into custody just hours before the scheduled start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. Marcoleta, a staunch ally of the Duterte camp, faces non-bailable plunder charges linked to the alleged concealment of P75 million in unused campaign funds. The senator had arrived at the Sandiganbayan in an attempt to have the case dismissed, but the anti-corruption court instead issued an immediate arrest warrant, leading to his detention by top interior and police officials.

This sudden development significantly weakens the pro-Duterte faction within the Senate, which has been further depleted by the incarceration of Senator Jinggoy Estrada and the disappearance of Senator Ronald dela Rosa. With their numbers now reduced to eight, the remaining allies—including figures like Bong Go and Imee Marcos—face an uphill battle. While there are currently 13 senators leaning toward a conviction, they remain three votes short of the threshold required to remove the Vice President from office, leaving the high-stakes impeachment trial in a precarious state of uncertainty.