Philippines’ vice president impeached, deepening political turmoil

MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte of the Philippines was impeached by lawmakers Wednesday, further escalating political tensions in a strategically important U.S. ally in Asia.

Duterte faced four complaints over her alleged misuse of millions in public funds and her pronouncements that she had made plans to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., his wife and the speaker of the House of Representatives, who is Marcos’ cousin.

A little over three years ago, Duterte and Marcos, both scions of notorious political dynasties, joined forces to run together in a national election. They promised national unity and were elected in a landslide victory in 2022. But their partnership was widely seen as a marriage of convenience and ruptured soon after.

Duterte has denied the accusations of corruption and cast the impeachment as politically motivated, a view shared by many Filipinos. Marcos has denied involvement in the impeachment proceedings, which threaten to end her political career.

“This is dragging the whole country to political chaos,” said Aries Arugay, chair of the political science department at the University of the Philippines.

“Unlike in the U.S., she has no critical function here as vice president,” Arugay added. “So, why? The political motivation here is to stop the eventuality of a Sara Duterte presidency.”

Duterte has publicly spoken about running for president after Marcos’ single, six-year term ends in 2028.

The Dutertes and Marcoses are split over the Philippines’ relationships with the United States and China. Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, pivoted toward Beijing when he was in office, while Marcos favors closer ties with Washington.

The impeachment move now risks escalating the feud between the two clans in the Philippines and their supporters. Paolo Duterte, a member of Congress and the younger brother of Sara Duterte, said he was “appalled and enraged by the desperate and politically motivated efforts” to impeach his sister.

“If the Marcos administration thinks it can push this sham impeachment without consequence, they are gravely mistaken,” Paolo Duterte said in a statement. “Mark my words: This reckless abuse of power will not end in their favor.”

On Wednesday afternoon, 215 out of the 306 members of the House voted for the impeachment of Sara Duterte. Applause broke out in the plenary hall after the official announcement of the results.

She will face a trial in the Philippine Senate when Congress reconvenes in June. A two-thirds vote is needed for conviction, and analysts say it’s unlikely the Senate, which is made up of pro-Duterte officials, will convict her.

Still, if she is found guilty, Duterte will be removed from office and disqualified from holding any public post. She can also face criminal and civil charges in court.

Many members of the public are fed up with the Marcoses and the Dutertes, and believe that the political drama is distracting the leaders from the main problems afflicting the country such as poverty and unemployment. Approval ratings for Marcos and Duterte have dipped significantly in recent months.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.