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Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Philippines V-P Duterte must go on trial due to severity of charges, prosecutors say
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte is facing removal from her post and a lifetime ban from office if convicted. PHOTO: REUTERS Philippines V-P Duterte must go on trial due to severity of charges, prosecutors say MANILA - 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 June 27. Ms 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 Ms 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 Ms Duterte's defence. 'It is obvious from a simple reading of (Ms 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. Ms 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 that she misused public funds while vice-president and education secretary and had plotted to assassinate Mr Marcos, the First Lady and the House Speaker based on remarks during a November press conference about hiring an assassin. Ms Duterte's impeachment is widely seen in the Philippines as part of a broader power struggle ahead of the 2028 election, which Mr Marcos cannot contest due to a single-term limit for presidents and will likely seek to groom a successor to protect his legacy. Mr Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment. Ms 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 Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
‘A scrap of paper': Philippine VP Duterte wants impeachment complaint dismissed
MANILA - Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte has described the impeachment complaint against her as 'nothing more than a scrap of paper' in her formal response to the Senate, saying the case was baseless and should be dismissed for being unconstitutional. The impeachment, widely seen as a test of political alliances, comes amid an acrimonious falling out between Ms Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr that has sparked a broader power struggle ahead of the 2028 presidential election. Mr Marcos, who has distanced himself from the case, is limited to a single term but is expected to groom a successor to run. Ms Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is viewed as a strong rival contender if she avoids impeachment. 'The Vice-President enters a plea of not guilty, without waiving any of her jurisdictional and other objections over the charges,' Ms Duterte said in a submission dated June 23. She dismissed the accusations against her as baseless, calling them 'exaggerations and speculations that are not supported by evidence' in the 34-page response to the Senate. In February, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Duterte for betrayal of public trust and high crimes, sending the case to the Senate. On June 11, the Senate returned the case to the House shortly after convening as an impeachment court. The Senate also ordered Duterte to respond to the allegations in the case, including that she had plotted to assassinate Marcos and others based on a statement she made in November about hiring an assassin. She is also accused of misusing public funds both as vice-president and during her stint as education secretary. As well as saying there was nothing substantive for her to answer in the case, Ms Duterte argued the impeachment complaint was the fourth filed against her, with the three earlier ones not acted on by the lower house. This, she said, violated a constitutional safeguard against more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a year, reiterating the arguments she used in asking the Supreme Court to dismiss the complaint. That case is ongoing. 'There are no statements of ultimate facts in the Fourth Impeachment complaint. Stripped of its 'factual' and legal conclusions, it is nothing more than a scrap of paper,' Ms Duterte's reply said. She faces a lifetime political ban if convicted. Congresswoman Gerville Luistro, a member of the impeachment prosecution panel, confirmed the lower house had received Duterte's reply to the Senate on Monday. 'The entire prosecution team is currently studying each and every allegation contained in the answer. Certainly, we will be filing a reply within 5 days from receipt as provided in the rules,' Ms Luistro said in a phone message. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Philippine Vice-President Duterte questions impeachment trial under new Congress
Ms Sara Duterte was impeached on seven charges that include graft, sedition and plotting to murder or assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. PHOTO: AFP MANILA – Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has questioned whether her impeachment trial on charges that include a suspected plot to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr can go forward when a new set of lawmakers takes office in July. Ms Duterte said in a video of a doorstep interview on June 3 that procedural issues may arise for her trial in the Senate due to the current body adjourning next week. If the trial does go ahead in July, Ms Duterte would face public scrutiny over her actions related to the impeachment charges, although her allies' strong performance in a May midterm election has bolstered her chances of acquittal. On June 4, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a Duterte ally, said he drafted a resolution to dismiss the impeachment against the vice president which he hopes to file in the coming days, according to an ABS-CBN News report. Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino earlier this week also called for a dismissal, saying the current Congress can't pass on its business to the next one. 'If we cannot conclude the trial before June 30, we must recognise this impeachment case is functionally dismissed,' said Mr Tolentino, who lost a bid for reelection in May. Other lawmakers, including opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros, have said, however, the impeachment trial can carry over to the next Congress. Mr Marcos' press officer Claire Castro said at a briefing on June 3 that the president will not meddle with the impeachment process. Ms Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February on seven charges that include graft, sedition and 'plotting to murder or assassinate the incumbent president, the first lady, and speaker of the House of Representatives,' according to the official complaint. Ms Duterte has denied the accusations. Mr Marcos and Ms Duterte ran on a successful presidential ticket in 2022, before falling out over several policy differences including a proposal to change the constitution that Ms Duterte's camp saw as a ploy to keep Mr Marcos in office beyond his single, six-year term. Relations reached a nadir this year after Mr Marcos allowed the arrest of her father, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, who awaits trial at the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity during his deadly drug war. Ms Sara Duterte made her comments from the Netherlands, where she went to visit her father. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
