Philippine House Votes to Impeach VP Sara Duterte

The Philippine House of Representatives voted 255-26 with nine abstentions on Monday to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, sending the impeachment complaints to the Senate for trial. The allegations against her include graft, corruption, bribery, misuse of state funds, and an alleged assassination threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The Senate, which will convene as a tribunal for her trial, recently elected Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a long-time ally of Vice President Duterte, as its new president. This change in Senate leadership could play a crucial role in the outcome of the impeachment trial.

The articles of impeachment also accuse Duterte of private bank transactions flagged by the anti-money laundering agency and an alleged assassination threat against Marcos and his family. Under the Philippine constitution, an impeachment triggers a trial in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority vote is required to convict and remove her from office.

The immediate next steps will be the Senate's trial, where Vice President Duterte will face the allegations against her. The court will convene to hear the case, and a guilty verdict would see Duterte removed from office and barred from elected office for life. The Senate will resume its session to prepare for the trial, with Senator Cayetano presiding as the new Senate president.