Sara Duterte, Philippine Vice President, Is Impeached, Again
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Vice President Sara Duterte of the Philippines was impeached again by the House of Representatives on charges of misusing public funds and threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., with the vote tallying 255 in favor and 26 against.
- The impeachment reflects ongoing political tensions between Duterte and Marcos, who ran together in 2022 but publicly fell out soon after.
- Duterte was previously impeached last year, but those proceedings were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and the Senate, dominated by Duterte allies, is unlikely to convict her this time as well.
- The Senate saw a leadership change with Senator Alan Cayetano, an ally of the Dutertes, elected as Senate president during the impeachment vote, further reducing the chances of conviction.
- Duterte’s legal team condemned the impeachment as a "witch hunt" and a "fishing expedition," criticizing the legitimacy of the process.