The Philippine vice president is accused of, among other things, embezzlement of public funds, unexplained accretion of assets and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.Image: keystone
July 6, 2026, 2:59 p.mJuly 6, 2026, 2:59 p.m
For the first time in history, impeachment proceedings against a vice president have begun in the Philippines: The Senate opened the trial against 48-year-old Sara Duterte in the afternoon (local time).
If convicted, she would not only lose her office, but would also never be allowed to hold public office again – a major setback for possible presidential plans in the 2028 election.
More than 6,000 police officers secured the Senate building in the capital Manila. Before the trial began, both supporters and opponents of Duterte were expected to rally. The process could take around three months.
What is she accused of?
Duterte, daughter of the controversial former President Rodrigo Duterte, is accused of, among other things, embezzlement of public funds, unexplained accretion of assets and threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The latter charge is particularly serious.
At the end of 2024, Duterte is said to have threatened to have the president, his wife and the then speaker of parliament killed if she herself were murdered. Duterte denies all allegations and calls the proceedings politically motivated. She also did not personally attend the opening of the trial.
Duterte comments in statement
“The burden of proof remains on the prosecution,” she said in a statement. “The fact that the accused is represented by her lawyers instead of testifying in person does not diminish her accountability nor does it mean a lack of transparency.”
It is the first time that a vice president in the Southeast Asian island state has had to stand trial before the Senate as an impeachment court. At the same time, it is the first impeachment trial against a high-ranking state representative in 14 years.
Father is on trial in The Hague
The proceedings are also marked by the deep rift between the country’s two most powerful political dynasties. Marcos and Duterte won the presidential and vice-presidential elections together in 2022. In the meantime, however, their camps are engaged in a bitter power struggle.
Sara Duterte’s father, who was head of state from 2016 to 2022, is currently in custody in The Hague. The former president will soon have to answer before the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody anti-drugs course. Thousands of people are said to have been killed, mostly without trial. (sda/dpa)