What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to analyze how language constructs power and political resistance during Vice President Duterte's impeachment statement.

April 22, 2026Open Access

Language, Power, and Ideology in Vice President Sara Duterte’s Impeachment Statement: A Critical Discourse Analysis

Key Points

The research aims to analyze how language constructs power and political resistance during Vice President Duterte's impeachment statement.
Conducted a critical discourse analysis of a 25-minute public statement by Vice President Duterte.
Utilized Fairclough’s CDA framework alongside van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach and Framing Theory.
Applied thematic and functional coding procedures to transcribed statements.
Duterte's use of strategic language includes hedging, repetition, and code-switching to assert her authority.
Found that her discourse constructs overlapping frames of legitimacy and national concern regarding the impeachment.
Analysis revealed these linguistic choices reinforce ideological narratives that enhance public trust while delegitimizing opposition.

Abstract

This study examines the strategic role of language in constructing power, legitimacy, and political resistance through a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte’s public statement following her 2025 impeachment. Situated within a highly polarized democratic context, the research investigates how discourse functions not merely as communication but as a mechanism for shaping public perception and negotiating political authority, contributing to SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. Anchored in Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA framework, van Dijk’s socio-cognitive approach, and Framing Theory, the study provides a multi-layered analysis of linguistic and rhetorical patterns. The corpus comprises a publicly available live-streamed statement lasting 25 minutes and 50 seconds, which was fully transcribed and systematically coded using a thematic and functional coding procedure. Findings reveal that Duterte employs a strategic combination of hedging, repetition, code-switching, evaluative language, and intertextual references to manage risk, assert authority, and mobilize public support. These linguistic devices construct overlapping frames of legitimacy, resistance, and victimhood, positioning the impeachment as both a political challenge and a collective national concern. The analysis further demonstrates that her discourse reinforces ideological narratives aligned with public trust, moral authority, and political resilience while subtly delegitimizing opposing actors. By activating shared cognitive and cultural schemas, her statements shape audience interpretation and sustain political credibility amid institutional crisis. This study contributes to the growing body of research on political discourse in Southeast Asia by highlighting how language operates as a strategic resource in high-stakes political events. It also offers practical implications for discourse analysis, media literacy, and political communication, emphasizing the need for critical engagement with language in democratic processes.

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