Philippine Senate will open the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, according to a pretrial plan seen by The Associated Press.
Philippine Senate will open the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, according to a pretrial plan seen by The Associated Press. The trial is scheduled to run for 92 days. Police deployed more than 6,000 officers, including anti-riot units, to secure the Senate. Demonstrators supporting and opposing Duterte gathered outside. Duterte or her legal team may appear at the start of the proceedings. She faces charges of amassing unexplained wealth, misusing confidential state funds, and publicly threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and a former House speaker. Duterte denies the charges. A conviction could permanently disqualify her from holding public office. Conviction would require the agreement of 16 of the Senate’s 24 members. Two senators allied with the Duterte family face possible arrest on non-bailable plunder charges. Senator Ronald dela Rosa is evading an International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for his role in the former president’s anti-drug campaign. Rodrigo Duterte, the vice president’s father and former president, was arrested on an ICC warrant and remains detained in The Hague, where he faces trial for alleged crimes against humanity related to his anti-drug campaign. The political dispute between Duterte and President Marcos reflects differing foreign policy approaches: Marcos has expanded defense cooperation with the United States and taken a firm stance against China in the South China Sea, while Rodrigo Duterte cultivated closer ties with China and Russia and criticized the United States. Duterte’s supporters accuse her of not condemning China’s use of water cannons against Filipino forces and fishermen in disputed waters. The House of Representatives, dominated by Marcos allies, voted by a large margin to impeach Duterte last month. Duterte’s supporters allege that the impeachment is politically motivated and intended to block her presidential aspirations.
- Publisher
- ap
- Reliability
- high
- Published
- 7/6/2026, 10:00:24 AM
- Retrieved
- 7/6/2026, 10:00:24 AM
- Relevance
- 80%
- Confidence
- 85%

