MANILA, Philippines — Philippine senators opened an impeachment trial Monday targeting Vice President Sara Duterte on criminal allegations, as the nation faces severe political turmoil that resulted in armed confrontation within the legislative building last week.
Last Monday, the House of Representatives voted by a large margin to impeach Duterte on accusations of unexplained wealth, improper use of government money, and making a public statement threatening the president’s assassination if political conflicts led to her own death.
The vice president, who has declared her intention to run for president in 2028, has rejected the accusations but declined to provide detailed responses to the specific allegations.
Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, remains in custody by the International Criminal Court facing crimes against humanity accusations. These charges relate to anti-drug operations he directed during his presidency that resulted in the deaths of thousands of primarily small-time suspects.
Before the impeachment proceedings began, 13 out of 24 senators, primarily supporters of the Duterte family, suddenly seized control of the Senate leadership last Monday, casting doubt on how the trial will conclude.
The vice president has accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was once her political partner and co-candidate in the 2022 election, of “kidnapping” her sick father, referencing his detention and transfer to the international court in The Hague last March.
The growing conflict between the nation’s top two officials demonstrates the profound political splits that have historically troubled this dynamic Asian democracy.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who worked as Rodrigo Duterte’s chief of national police and implemented his violent drug enforcement campaigns, is among the senators. The ICC has identified dela Rosa as a co-conspirator and issued an arrest warrant for him last Monday.
On that same day, Dela Rosa, who had been absent from the Senate for months while avoiding arrest, unexpectedly appeared in the chamber to help Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, a major Duterte supporter, secure a narrow majority and claim the Senate leadership position.
Dela Rosa informed reporters he emerged from hiding and traveled to the Senate in Cayetano’s vehicle but nearly faced arrest by National Bureau of Investigation officers. He rushed into a stairwell and ran to the Senate floor, where Cayetano and other supporters placed him under the chamber’s “protective custody.”
A tense confrontation between Senate security staff and government agents stationed in a nearby government facility turned violent Wednesday night, with Senate personnel discharging what their supervisor, Mao Aplasca, described as warning shots. Marcos urged citizens to stay calm during a late-night television address.
Cayetano subsequently reported that dela Rosa had vanished from the Senate. Officials stated they were examining whether the gunfire incident may have been orchestrated to facilitate dela Rosa’s escape.
