Philippine Senate begins impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte
The Senate opened a 92-day impeachment trial for Vice President Sara Duterte, who faces charges of unexplained wealth and alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while she remains absent from the proceedings.
Manila – The Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, commenced the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday. More than 6,000 police officers, including anti-riot units, were deployed to secure the chamber as roughly 400 demonstrators gathered outside, chanting calls for conviction. Duterte did not attend; her lawyers represented her at the opening.
The indictment includes accusations of amassing unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential state funds, and a public threat to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and a former House speaker assassinated if she were harmed. If convicted, Duterte could be permanently barred from holding public office, jeopardizing her stated intention to run for president in 2028.
The case follows a House vote, dominated by allies of Marcos, to impeach the vice president. The Senate requires a two-thirds majority – 16 of 24 votes – for a conviction. Several senators aligned with the Duterte family have recently faced separate legal actions, including arrests on plunder charges and an ICC warrant for one former police chief.
The trial unfolds against a backdrop of political rivalry between the Duterte and Marcos families, whose differing foreign-policy orientations have shaped recent diplomatic engagements with the United States, China and Russia.
