MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The House of Representatives in the Philippines voted overwhelmingly to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday over alleged unexplained wealth and threats against the president, as the rift between the camps of the country’s top two officials escalated.
The House, which is dominated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s allies, voted 257-25 with nine abstentions. The two impeachment complaints against Duterte, which will now be elevated to the Senate for a trial, mark an initial setback to her plan to seek the presidency in 2028.
Shortly before the impeachment vote in the House, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who had vowed to immediately put the vice president to trial, was ousted by 13 of 24 senators, including supporters of the vice president and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
It’s not immediately clear how the vice president’s impending impeachment trial would be affected by the Senate leadership change, but Sotto told reporters that he and his allies would insist that the proceedings against the vice president should be immediately taken up once submitted.
A standoff in the Senate