Philippines Vice President

The Philippine Senate has started the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in a politically volatile event that will unfold against the backdrop of her feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Thousands of police officers were deployed to secure the Senate on Monday. Duterte was represented by lawyers at the start of the trial. She is accused of amassing unexplained wealth and publicly threatening to have Marcos assassinated. She denies that. If convicted, Duterte may be permanently disqualified from holding public office. A conviction would be a lethal blow to the vice president’s plan to seek the presidency in mid-2028.