Philippine Vice President Duterte’s impeachment trial begins: What we know

In a dramatic turn, Duterte ally Senator Rodante Marcoleta was arrested on a plunder charge shortly before the start of the trial on Monday, throwing support for Duterte in the Senate into doubt. Duterte is the first vice president to undergo an impeachment trial. The outcome could determine whether she will be barred from running for president in the next election – and the future political landscape of the Philippines as Marcos looks towards the end of his final term in office.

So why has Duterte been impeached, and why is her trial significant? Here’s what we know:

Who is Sara Duterte?

Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is on trial before the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity during his time as president and mayor of Davao City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. In 2022, she agreed to run as vice president alongside Marcos, son of the man who ruled the Philippines for 20 years before his toppling in 1986 during mass protests called the People Power Revolution. The Marcos and Duterte families are the most powerful clans in the country. Ultimately, Marcos won the presidency and Sara Duterte became his vice president. In February, she announced she would run for president in 2028, but if she is convicted in her impeachment trial, she could be prevented from standing for the next election.

Why has she been impeached?

In May, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Sara Duterte. The charges against her include two violations of the constitution and betrayal of public trust for misuse of confidential government funds, failure to disclose her wealth, bribery and making death threats against Marcos; his wife, Liza Araneta; and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. One of the most damning allegations in the complaint against the vice president relates to private bank transactions flagged by the anti-money-laundering agency of more than $110m. According to the Philippine news outlet Rappler, her trial began at 2pm (06:00 GMT) on Monday.