MANILA: The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte opened on Monday with prosecutors casting the case as a test of accountability and public trust, while the defence denounced it as a politically driven bid to unseat an official elected by more than 32 million people. The results of the high-stakes proceedings could help to shape the 2028 presidential race.
The trial, the first against a sitting Philippine vice-president, began with a display of the divisions that have roiled the Senate in recent months. Duterte allies and rival lawmakers clashed over procedural rules, including the election of the presiding officer, which delayed the start of proceedings.
Duterte is accused of misusing public funds, amassing unexplained wealth, bribery and corruption and threatening President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the first lady and a former House speaker. Opening the prosecution's case, Congresswoman Gerville Luistro said the allegations were "not four separate stories" but "four chapters of the same story" - a story of "public trust betrayed" and "public office that stopped answering to the public." — Reuters
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