Philippine Senate to convene impeachment court for VP Duterte next month
FILE PHOTO: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte delivers a statement following her impeachment by the lower house of the Congress, in her office at Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines, February 7, 2025. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo
MANILA: The Philippine Senate will convene the impeachment court that will decide the future of Vice President Sara Duterte on Jun 3, according to a document seen by AFP on Friday (May 23).
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February for "high crimes" including corruption and an alleged assassination plot against former ally and running mate President Ferdinand Marcos.
Senate President Francis Escudero has said hearings would begin in late July after incoming senators take their seats.
The impeachment trial was a key talking point in this month's mid-term elections, which decided half the upper body's 24 senators who will serve as her jury.
Escudero informed House Speaker Martin Romualdez that the upper house would be ready to hear charges on Jun 2 before convening the court, according to a photo of the letter forwarded to AFP.
"As stated in our letter dated February 24, 2025, the Senate shall expect the prosecution to read the seven charges under the Articles of Impeachment in open session," Escudero said in the letter dated May 19.
"Thereafter, the Senate shall be convened as an impeachment court at 9 o'clock in the morning of June 3, 2025 for the purpose of issuing the summons and such other relevant orders," it continues.
The vice president needs nine votes from the full 24-seat Senate for an acquittal. Losing would mean her removal and a permanent ban from public office.
Analysts told AFP last week that the outcome of the May 12 election appeared positive for Duterte, who saw an ally snare an unexpected seat while the president's ticket scored one fewer than predicted.
Duterte swept to power in 2022 in an alliance with Marcos that began crumbling almost immediately.
The feud exploded into open warfare this year with her impeachment and the subsequent arrest and transfer of her father, ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, to face charges at the International Criminal Court at the Hague tied to his deadly drug war.
Marcos said in a podcast interview after the elections he was willing to reconcile with the Duterte clan but maintained that he had no involvement in the impeachment process.
"Let's leave that to the Senate, which has its own processes for it," Marcos said.
The vice president's office did not respond immediately to AFP's request for comment.
