Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte entered a Senate impeachment trial on Monday that could decide whether she remains eligible to seek the presidency in 2028.
The proceedings began on July 6 in a 24-member Senate split by rival political camps. A conviction requires at least 16 votes and would put Duterte’s political future at risk, while an acquittal could leave her as a leading contender for the next presidential election.
The case is the first impeachment trial of a Philippine vice president. It centres on allegations that Duterte misused public funds, accumulated unexplained wealth and threatened the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the first lady and a former House speaker.
Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, denies wrongdoing and says the case is politically motivated. Congressman Robert “Ace” Barbers, speaking for the prosecution, said of that defence: “We will let the evidence speak for itself.”
Analysts say the credibility of the process may matter as much as the verdict. Ederson Tapia, a public administration professor at the University of Makati, said: “If it is seen as politically motivated or lacking credibility, questions may linger regardless of the outcome.”
The trial follows the collapse of the 2022 alliance between Marcos and Duterte, heirs to two of the country’s most powerful political families. Their split has already reached the Senate, where leadership fights and the disappearance of Duterte ally Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa have added to the tension around the case.
It remains unclear how long the trial will last. Duterte’s lawyer, Michael Poa, said the defence was ready to prove the allegations were “baseless”, while Jean Encinas-Franco of the University of the Philippines said both sides must be heard fully “so the public does not perceive the trial as favouring one side.”
