The lower house of the Philippine Parliament voted on Monday to proceed with impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.
Under the Constitution, the case now advances to a Senate trial. A guilty verdict would remove Duterte from office and bar him from holding elected office for the rest of his life — an early blow to his plans to run for president in 2028.
Why is Sara Duterte being impeached?
The articles of impeachment focus on misuse of public funds, unexplained assets, bribery of public officials. They also cover alleged death threats against former President Ferdinand Marcos.
Lawmakers approved sending evidence against former President Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte to the Senate by a margin of 255 to 26, with nine abstaining. The house is dominated by Marcos’ allies.
Representative Bienvenido Abante said shortly after the vote, “This is no longer just about politics. This is about conscience, duty and the future of our country.”
“This is not about 2028, this is not about political alliances, this is about whether we still believe that no one is above the law.”
What threat is he accused of making?
The impeachment case stems from a late-night briefing in which Sara Duterte said she had hired an assassin to kill Ferdinand Marcos if he assassinated her first. He also warned that his threat was not a joke.
He later said that his comments were misinterpreted, saying that the comments came out of concern for his own safety, while his defense stated that the burden of proof now rested on his accusers.
After Monday’s vote, Duterte’s defense lawyer said the burden of proof now rests on his accusers.
“We are fully prepared to defend the Vice President before the Senate as the impeachment court,” the statement said.
The impeachment effort against Sara Duterte was rejected by the Supreme Court last year on procedural grounds.
His father is facing trial at the International Criminal Court over his deadly anti-drug campaign while president.
Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher