The fate of the Duterte family is in jeopardy.

As a representative of the powerful family of former President Duterte in Philippine politics, Vice President Sara Duterte is besieged by a series of accusations and faces the risk of ending her political career.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte is accused of threatening to hire assassins to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Source: Reuters)

On February 5, the Philippine House of Representatives passed a motion to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, with at least 215 out of 306 senators voting in favor, far exceeding the minimum required to send the motion to the Senate. This move paves the way for a rare Senate trial, where 23 senators will act as a jury in a process that could lead to her removal from office and a lifetime ban on public office.

Main allegations

President Sara Duterte is facing a series of serious accusations. First, she is accused of "hiring assassins to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Speaker of the House Martin Romualdez." In response to these threats, Philippine security forces launched an investigation and increased security measures for the leaders involved.

However, Sara Duterte denied the assassination plot against the President, saying her remarks only expressed "discontent" with the Marcos administration's irresponsibility towards the lives of the people. This exchange reflects the growing rift between the two most powerful families in the Philippines, Duterte and Marcos, who disagree on foreign policy and former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

Secondly, regarding allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds, Sara Duterte is accused of misusing over $11 million from secret funds allocated to the Vice President's Office and the Department of Education during her time as Secretary of Education, as well as failing to declare assets and possessing wealth of unknown origin.

Finally, regarding the charges of violating the constitution and betraying the public trust, the 33-page impeachment complaint filed by lawmakers alleges that Sara Duterte violated the constitution, engaged in corruption and bribery, among other serious crimes, and acted contrary to her commitment to serving the people.

The Philippine House of Representatives discussed impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte in Manila on February 5. (Source: AP)

Reactions from stakeholders

Sara Duterte has repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming they are politically motivated acts of revenge. Her brother, Davao Congressman Paolo Duterte, also rejected the claims, expressing "horror and anger at the politically motivated attempts" to impeach his sister. It appears the Duterte family is attempting to form a united front to protect Sara Duterte, maintain their family's standing within the Manila government, and safeguard their public image.

Commenting on the situation, Aries Arugay, head of the political science department at the University of the Philippines, asserted that this issue is dragging the entire country into a difficult situation. He added, “Unlike in the US, Sara Duterte doesn’t hold any significant position here as Vice President. So the political motivation here is to prevent her from becoming President.” Arugay’s assessment is based on the fact that Sara Duterte has publicly stated her intention to run for President after Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s six-year term ends in 2028.

Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. adopted a double-edged stance, simultaneously declaring he did not support impeaching Sara Duterte while emphasizing he would not interfere in the legislative branch. In other words, Marcos Jr. did not publicly support impeaching the Vice President to avoid escalating tensions between the Marcos and Duterte families. However, by not interfering with the House decision, he also did not defend Sara Duterte, revealing a rift in the alliance between the two most powerful families in the Philippines.

People took to the streets in Manila on February 5 to protest in support of the impeachment of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte. (Source: Reuters)

Political impact

This is only the second time in Philippine history that a high-ranking official has been impeached, following former President Joseph Estrada in 2000. The move reflects the deep-seated conflict between the two most powerful political families in the Philippines: the Marcos family and the Duterte family.

If convicted, Sara Duterte would be removed from office and banned from office for life, making it difficult for her to revive her political career. This could also shift the balance of power in Philippine politics and affect relations between political factions in the country.

The House of Representatives has unanimously passed the impeachment motion, and the Philippines and international observers are holding their breath awaiting the outcome of the Senate debate. If both houses reach a unified position on the series of charges, Sara Duterte's political future will face a major turning point, somewhat weakening the Duterte family's fortunes in Philippine politics.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/song-gio-luan-toi-pho-to-ng-thong-philippines-lung-lay-van-menh-gia-toc-duterte-303534.html