The Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, has opened the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte amid political turmoil and deep division.
The trial that opened on Monday came just days after chaos and a shootout in the upper house and a decisive change in its leadership, both stemming from the dramatic re-emergence from hiding of a pro-Duterte Senator wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The high-stakes impeachment case could see the vice-president banned from holding public office, derailing her ambition to win the presidency in 2028.
That vote was pushed over the line by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is accused by the ICC of crimes against humanity over his role in the violent “war on drugs” waged by the defendant’s father, Rodrigo Duterte, while president between 2016 and 2022.
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Philippines Launches VP Duterte Impeachment Trial Amid Political Division
05/18/2026
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