MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Senate convened as an impeachment court on Monday to try Vice President Sara Duterte, marking a dramatic escalation in a political crisis that has widened divisions in the country’s leadership and followed a week of heightened tensions inside the upper chamber.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives last week over allegations of unexplained wealth, misuse of public funds and a controversial public remark interpreted as a threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. if she were harmed amid their political fallout. Lawmakers approved the impeachment with overwhelming support.
The vice president, who has signaled plans to run for president in 2028, has denied the allegations. Her legal team said she would respond “in accordance with the Constitution and applicable rules” but has not yet addressed the charges in detail.
The impeachment trial comes as the country’s top political families face overlapping legal and political pressures. Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, remains in detention at the International Criminal Court in The Hague over allegations of crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drug campaign that killed thousands during his presidency.
Tensions intensified in the Senate in the days leading up to the trial after a bloc of 13 senators, many aligned with the Duterte camp, moved to secure control of the chamber’s leadership. The shift left the Senate presidency in a precarious position, with the balance of power still uncertain.
Several senators in the bloc have also been named by witnesses in separate corruption allegations involving flood control projects, though they have denied any wrongdoing. The claims remain under investigation.
The political conflict has also drawn in key figures from both camps. Senator Ronald dela Rosa, former national police chief under Rodrigo Duterte’s administration and a central figure in the former president’s anti-drug campaign, was identified by the International Criminal Court as a co-conspirator in its warrant unsealed last week.
Dela Rosa had been absent from the Senate for months amid fears of arrest but unexpectedly returned to the chamber last week, helping Duterte-aligned allies secure a temporary advantage in the Senate leadership contest. He later told reporters he narrowly avoided arrest by National Bureau of Investigation agents before reaching the Senate premises, where he was placed under what colleagues described as “protective custody.”
The situation escalated further in an incident last Wednesday night when a standoff between Senate security personnel and government agents outside the chamber reportedly led to warning shots being fired. Senate security chief Mao Aplasca said the shots were intended as warnings. President Marcos later appealed for calm in a late-night televised address.
Authorities are now investigating whether the confrontation was deliberately staged to facilitate Dela Rosa’s exit from the Senate building. He has since been reported missing from the chamber, according to allies.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a key Duterte ally who briefly assumed a central role in the Senate leadership maneuvering, has not publicly addressed the latest developments.
The impeachment trial underscores the deepening rupture between President Marcos and Vice President Duterte, once political allies in the 2022 elections. Their split has reshaped the country’s political landscape and intensified long-standing rivalries within the Philippine political elite, raising concerns about institutional stability as the trial proceeds.
This report is prepared for international distribution and includes material sourced from wire reporting, including The Associated Press (AP).
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
