Philippine Vice President Duterte indicted on murder charges

Philippine Vice President Duterte indicted on murder charges

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached on Wednesday on a series of charges, including suspicion of plotting to assassinate the president, large-scale corruption and failure to stop China's aggressive actions against Philippine forces disputed South China Sea to condemn vigorously.

Deepening the political divide

The move by House lawmakers, many of them allies of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., deepens a bitter political divide affecting the two most senior leaders of one of Asia's most troubled democracies.

Defense alliances and political tensions

Marcos has strengthened defense ties with his country, the US, while the vice president's father, Rodrigo Duterte, during his stormy term in office that ended in 2022, maintained close relations with China and Russia.

Accusations and political persecution

Sara Duterte did not initially comment on her impeachment, but her brother, Rep. Paolo Duterte, said it was “clear political persecution.” Rival MPs quickly collected signatures and introduced “baseless impeachment proceedings” in the Senate, said Paulo Duterte.

Corruption allegations against Duterte

Duterte has repeatedly accused Marcos, his wife and his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, of corruption, weak leadership and trying to silence them. This was likely due to speculation that she might seek presidential elections in 2028 after the end of Marcos' six-year term.

Impeachment proceedings and first steps

At least 215 lower House members signed the complaint, far exceeding the number required to expeditiously forward the request to the Senate, which would serve as a tribunal to try the vice president, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco informed during a plenary session before the four-month recess.

Political alliances and conflicts

Signatories of the impeachment complaint included the president's son, Rep. Sandro Marcos, and Romualdez. The motion called on the Senate to constitute itself as an impeachment court, render a verdict, remove her from office and bar her from public office.

Allegations against the Vice President

“Duterte’s conduct during her term in office clearly demonstrates a gross breach of trust with the public and a tyrannical abuse of power, which together demonstrate her total inability to hold public office and her disloyalty to the laws and the 1987 Constitution,” the complaint said.

Background of political dynamics

Duterte ran alongside Marcos in 2022 under the rallying cry of unity in a deeply divided Southeast Asia. Both came from strongman families accused of human rights abuses, yet their strong regional support bases led to an overwhelming electoral victory.

Investigations and public perception

The impeachment complaint against the vice president focused on one thing, among other things threat, which she made last year against the president, his wife and the leader of the House of Representatives, irregularities in the handling of her office's intelligence assets and her failure to confront Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea.

Shocking statements and their consequences

In an online press conference on November 23, she claimed to have hired a hitman to kill Marcos, his wife and Romualdez in case she herself was killed, and warned that this was no joke. She later clarified that she did not mean to threaten murder, but was simply concerned for her own safety. Still, her comments led to investigations and national security concerns.

Corruption and economic connections

Allegations of enrichment and corruption against her have also emerged from a months-long and televised investigation in the House of Representatives into the alleged misappropriation of 612.5 million pesos ($10.5 million) in confidential and secret funds that Duterte received in her roles as vice president and education secretary. She has since left the Education Ministry after her political differences with Marcos deepened.

Unexplained assets and legal requirements

She was also accused of unexplained wealth and failure to declare her assets as required by law. In tense, televised hearings last year, she refused to answer detailed questions.

Political subversion and international reactions

The impeachment complaint also accused Duterte of undermining the Marcos administration's policies, including its description of its handling of territorial disputes with Beijing in the South China Sea as a "fiasco." It also addressed their silence over China's increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed waters.