The Filipino House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on multiple charges, including conspiring to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., bribery, corruption, and involvement in extrajudicial killings.
Lawmakers argue that Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, whose term ended in 2022, poses a threat to national security and stability.
The alleged extrajudicial killings occurred in Davao City during her tenure as mayor. Duterte rose to the vice presidency as an ally of Marcos Jr. under the “Uniteam” banner. However, despite their initially strong alliance, tensions emerged and became evident when Marcos removed Duterte from the National Security Council (NSC).
The rift escalated when Duterte stated that she had spoken to an assassin and instructed him to kill Marcos if he attempted to kill her. She also reportedly threatened to exhume the remains of the president’s father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and throw them into the sea.
On Wednesday, 215 members of the House of Representatives voted to impeach her, surpassing the required one-third threshold. The impeachment complaint now moves to the Senate, where a trial will determine Duterte’s fate. A two-thirds vote is needed for conviction and removal from office. If acquitted, she will remain vice president, though her political future remains uncertain.
