The Senate convened as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice-President Sara Duterte over criminal charges, in a time of deep divisions that erupted into an exchange of gunfire last week in the chamber.
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Sara last Monday over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and a public threat to have the president assassinated if she herself were killed due to their political disputes.
The vice-president, who has announced her plan to seek the presidency in 2028, has denied the charges but has refused to answer the allegations in detail.
Her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, has been detained by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
The charges stem from anti-drugs crackdowns he ordered while in power that killed thousands of mostly petty suspects.
Ahead of the impeachment trial, 13 of 24 senators led by allies of the Dutertes suddenly wrested the presidency of the Senate last Monday, leaving the outcome of the trial in question.
The vice-president has blamed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, her former ally and running mate in the 2022 election, for “kidnapping” her ailing father, referring to his arrest and transfer to the international court in The Hague last March.
The escalating disputes between the two top leaders reflect the deep divisions that have long plagued the country.
One of the senators, Ronald dela Rosa, served as Rodrigo’s national police chief and enforced his crackdowns on illegal drugs.
The ICC has named dela Rosa as a co-conspirator and unsealed a warrant for his arrest last Monday. — AP
