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How will the impeachment trial of Philippine VP Sara Duterte be held?
The trial looms for Duterte, accused of corruption and threatening officials' lives
- PUBLISHED: Tue 10 Jun 2025, 2:12 PM
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- Reuters
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Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte, the popular daughter of the firebrand former leader Rodrigo Duterte, is facing a high-profile impeachment trial in the Senate that could determine her future in politics.
WHAT IS DUTERTE CHARGED WITH?
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The impeachment complaint alleges Duterte is guilty of violating the constitution, graft and corruption, other high crimes, and betraying public trust. She is accused of misusing public funds while vice president and education minister, amassing unexplained wealth and threatening the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the first lady and the lower house speaker. She denies all of the allegations.
The impeachment, led by lower house allies of Marcos, followed a series of legislative enquiries into the finances of the vice-president's office, at a time when the relationship between Duterte and Marcos was rapidly deteriorating.
Former ally Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment and Duterte says the process has been weaponised and used as a political tool to sideline her.
HOW WILL THE TRIAL BE CONDUCTED?
The Senate will convene as an impeachment court, initially with 22 members as jurors and the speaker of the Senate presiding. The lower house has already appointed members to serve as prosecutors and Duterte has assembled a defence team to confront what she calls "baseless accusations".
A new Senate is due to convene in July following May's midterm elections, with 12 new members joining to restore the chamber to its full complement of 24, meaning some of the jurors will change when the current Senate term expires.
HOW MANY OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN IMPEACHED IN THE PHILIPPINES?
Duterte is the fifth top official in the Philippines to be impeached, after former President Joseph Estrada, an ombudsman, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, and a former chairman of the election commission. Only Corona was convicted, with the former ombudsman and election commission chief resigning after they were impeached. Estrada's 2001 trial was aborted after some prosecutors walked out.
WHAT IS REQUIRED TO CONVICT DUTERTE?
A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is needed to convict an impeached official. This means at least 16 out of 24 senators must vote in favour of conviction for it to pass.
If convicted, Duterte would be removed from office and disqualified from holding any future government position, which would kill off any potential bid for the presidency.
If a vice president is removed, the president will nominate a successor from among members of the Senate and House of Representatives and the nominee must be confirmed by a majority vote in both chambers, voting separately.
WHAT IS THE LIKELY OUTCOME?
The outcome of the trial is difficult to predict.
While some senators have openly allied themselves with Marcos or Duterte, allegiances can easily shift in the Philippines depending on the political climate and public sentiment, with some hedging their bets ahead of elections in 2028.
The introduction of 12 new senators next month is seen by analysts as a boon for Duterte, with her allies among the newcomers.
HOW LONG WILL THE TRIAL LAST?
The duration of an impeachment trial is not fixed and depends on a host of factors including the complexity of the case, number of witnesses and volume of evidence presented. For instance, the 2012 impeachment trial of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona lasted five months.