Philippine prosecutors demand trial of VP Sara Duterte over alleged assassination plot and misuse of public funds
MANILA, June 27 — Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte must be tried, and ultimately convicted, over serious charges, including an alleged threat to have the president killed, prosecutors argued in a submission to a Senate impeachment court on Friday.
Duterte is facing removal from her post and a lifetime ban from office if convicted. She has denied wrongdoing and maintains her impeachment is politically motivated and the result of an acrimonious falling out between her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Lower house prosecutors said the weight of the evidence against Duterte justifies a full-blown trial, rejecting her defence that the allegations against her in an impeachment complaint were unsubstantiated.
'The severity of the charges leaves no room for technical evasion. A trial is not only warranted but necessary to reinforce justice, uphold democratic principles, and affirm that no individual, regardless of rank of influence, stands above the law,' they said in their response to Duterte's defence.
'It is obvious from a simple reading of (Duterte's response), which relies on misleading claims and baseless procedural objections, that the only legal strategy of the defence is to have the case dismissed and avoid trial,' the prosecutors said.
Duterte, who was impeached by the lower house in February, has described the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional and 'nothing more than a scrap of paper.'
Included in the complaint were allegations she misused public funds while vice president and education secretary and had plotted to assassinate Marcos, the first lady and the house speaker based on remarks during a November press conference about hiring an assassin.
Duterte's impeachment is widely seen in the Philippines as part of a broader power struggle ahead of the 2028 election, which Marcos cannot contest due to a single-term limit for presidents and will likely seek to groom a successor to protect his legacy. Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment.
Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is expected to run for the presidency in 2028 if she survives the impeachment and would be a strong contender. — Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
an hour ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Teen allegedly raped by mum's elderly boyfriend as she watched
The 36-year-old mother, who is a security guard, and a 61-year-old self-employed man have been arrested. PETALING JAYA : Police have arrested a 36-year-old mother and her 61-year-old boyfriend after the former's teen daughter was allegedly raped by the man as the woman watched on. Siti Kamsiah Hassan of Bukit Aman's sex crimes investigation division, said the first incident of sexual assault against the victim allegedly took place in the middle of last year when the victim was sleeping in her mum's bedroom. Siti said the victim had woken up to someone touching her, when she realised her mother and her boyfriend were next to her. 'He then proceeded to rape the victim, witnessed by her mother,' she said, according to Harian Metro. More recently, the girl came across text messages last month of the two planning to engage in sexual activity, Siti said. The man allegedly expressed his intention to have sex with the girl at a hotel, causing her to fear for her safety. She fled to a friend's house before lodging a report at the Pandan Indah police station. This led to the arrest of the mum, who works as a security guard, and her self-employed boyfriend. The pair have been remanded for a week to assist with investigations.
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Cop killed in operation against illegal street racing in KL
Kuala Lumpur traffic investigation and enforcement department chief Zamzuri Isa said both police officers were conducting surveillance to prevent illegal street racing activities. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : A policeman died after his motorcycle skidded during an operation to curb illegal street racing in Kuala Lumpur early this morning. Kuala Lumpur traffic investigation and enforcement department chief Zamzuri Isa said Amirul Aiman Othman, 24, was declared dead at the scene following the 4.30am incident on Jalan Kuching, heading towards Selayang from Jalan Tun Razak. 'A preliminary investigation revealed that he lost control of his motorcycle while navigating a bend and collided with a metal road barrier before tumbling down an embankment. 'Another officer riding behind the victim also lost control of his motorcycle and sustained minor injuries. He is receiving outpatient treatment at Kuala Lumpur Hospital,' Bernama reported him as saying. Zamzuri said the officers were conducting surveillance to prevent illegal street racing activities in Kuala Lumpur. He said Amirul had been serving with the department since completing his training and had been attached to the intelligence/operations division for over a year.
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Singapore has increased its security posture amid rising tensions from Iran-Israel conflict, says national security minister
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Singapore has increased its security posture amid rising tensions from the Iran-Israel conflict, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a community event in Nee Soon on June 28, he said: 'There is a ceasefire, but we don't know exactly what will happen after this.' People in this region, other regions, or extremist organisations might want to make a point against Israeli, American or other Western assets, he said, adding that there could be attacks from the far right on Muslim assets. If Singapore is ever attacked, it will make international headlines, he said. There is a possibility of attacks on both sides, he said, either by the far right attacking Muslims, or representative of Muslim countries including Iran, and attacks on Western assets – American, European, Israeli. 'So we have increased our security posture, working off different scenarios, but you know, you can never be absolutely sure,' he added. When asked by the media if there have been more suspicious activities or extreme activities since the US air strikes on Iran nuclear facilities, Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said the authorities have not detected anything here yet. 'But they need to succeed only once,' he said, adding that security is a joint responsibility and Singaporeans will need to be more aware of potential security threats. Addressing the conflict between Iran and Israel, Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing recently also told media on June 25 that retaliation from Iran may not be limited to targets in America or Israel. Chan said that the retaliation could be anywhere else, and could stoke up emotions in the region. These conflicts have resulted in greater security concerns, he had said. Shanmugam on June 28 also said that the Government is looking at the possible 'outflows' to Singapore, in response to Thailand recently recriminalising cannabis. 'The nexus between drugs and crime, and terrorism, also needs to be looked at.' 'We try to maintain our openness and our connectivity, and our business-friendly environment,' he said. 'It is a bit early to say what is going to happen, but we have to be more careful.' Thailand's health ministry on June 24 issued an order prohibiting the sale of cannabis for recreational use and requiring a doctor's prescription for any retail purchase. Shanmugam said that when Thailand decriminalised cannabis previously, there were many people with more liberal views who asked if Singapore was going to change as well. 'I said the Singapore Government decides not based on what other countries do. We take a hard look, we look at the science, we look at the social impact, and the actual impact and we run the government of Singapore and the policies in the best interests of Singaporeans,' he said. 'And I am absolutely convinced, the Cabinet is absolutely convinced that the right policy is to be strict on drugs, and you can see, the people who asked for liberalisation, are shutting their eyes deliberately to what is happening around the world and the immense harm.' 'We work in the best interests of Singaporeans, and it was the right policy to keep it criminalised, not soften our stance, and that remains the right policy,' he added. - The Straits Times/ANN
