AP, MANILA
The Philippine Senate, acting as an impeachment court, opened the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday in a politically volatile event that is unfolding against the backdrop of her bitter political feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.More than 6,000 police officers, including anti-riot squads, were deployed to secure the senate building, where about 400 anti-Duterte demonstrators converged, chanting “convict Sara now.” Duterte did not appear but was represented by her lawyers at the start of the trial, which should run for 92 days, according to a pretrial plan.If convicted of the charges, which include amassing unexplained wealth and publicly threatening to have Marcos assassinated, Duterte could be permanently disqualified from holding public office. She denies the charges.
Philippine Senator Pia Cayetano speaks during the impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine Senate in Pasay City, Metro Manila, yesterday.
A conviction would be a lethal blow to her announced plan to seek the presidency in mid-2028, when Marcos ends his six-year term. They were running mates in the 2022 elections in a whirlwind alliance that combined the vote-getting power of two of the country’s most formidable political dynasties, but the union rapidly fell apart.The vice president is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos’ predecessor. He was arrested last year on orders of the International Criminal Court and flown to The Hague, where he remains detained and is scheduled to face trial over alleged crimes against humanity on Nov. 30.
