MANILA - Philippine lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Monday to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, a move that threatens her expected run for the presidency in 2028.
The House of Representatives approved the impeachment petition with 255 of 318 votes, exceeding the one-third threshold required. The complaint accuses Duterte of misusing public funds, accumulating unexplained wealth, and threatening the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and the former House speaker.
Duterte denies all allegations. Her legal team calls the impeachment effort a "fishing expedition" and defective. She faces removal from office and a lifetime ban from politics if convicted in a Senate trial.
The impeachment is the latest blow to the once-dominant Duterte family. Her bitter feud with President Marcos has intensified, and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, awaits trial at the International Criminal Court for his deadly war on drugs.
In a potentially pivotal twist, the Senate replaced its president with Alan Peter Cayetano, a loyalist of the Duterte family. Cayetano would serve as presiding judge in the impeachment trial.
Sara Duterte remains the leading contender for the 2028 presidential election, as term-limited President Marcos cannot seek re-election.