The Philippine Senate, acting as an impeachment court, has opened the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte against the backdrop of her bitter political feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
More than 6,000 police officers, including anti-riot squads, were deployed to secure the Senate. Duterte or her lawyers can appear at the start of the trial, which is expected to run for 92 days.
The charges include amassing unexplained wealth and publicly threatening to have Marcos assassinated. If convicted, Duterte may be permanently disqualified from holding public office. She denies the charges.
A conviction would be a lethal blow to her announced plan to seek the presidency in mid-2028. Duterte and Marcos were running mates in the 2022 elections but their alliance rapidly fell apart.
The vice president is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested last year on orders of the International Criminal Court and flown to The Hague. He is scheduled to face trial on Nov. 30 for alleged crimes against humanity.
The charges stem from the ex-president's brutal anti-drugs crackdowns. Rodrigo Duterte has denied authorizing extra-judicial killings.
The vice president has blamed Marcos for her father's arrest. Marcos has expanded defense engagements with the United States, while Rodrigo Duterte had nurtured cozy ties with China and Russia.
Last month, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach the vice president over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential state funds, and a public threat to have the president assassinated.
Two-thirds of the 24-member Senate, or 16 votes, are needed to convict. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, a pro-Duterte senator, was arrested on a plunder charge. Another pro-Duterte senator, Rodante Marcoleta, faces possible arrest over campaign finance violations. A third senator, Ronald dela Rosa, has gone into hiding after the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest.