A political crisis in the Philippines has deepened with the filing of an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte by a coalition of civil society groups, Bloomberg reports.
The move follows a dramatic public falling out between Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who are only two years removed from winning a joint election ticket.
The complaint, filed Monday with the House of Representatives, accuses Duterte of “culpable violations of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes,” according to Akbayan, a progressive political alliance that spearheaded the effort. The complaint cites alleged misuse of confidential funds, along with other alleged misdeeds during her tenure as mayor of Davao City and Secretary of Education.
This action comes just three days after President Marcos publicly stated his opposition to any impeachment proceedings, calling the escalating feud with his deputy a “storm in a teacup” and warning that such efforts could hinder crucial reforms.
The complaint will now proceed through a House committee, requiring a majority vote to advance to the full chamber. A subsequent Senate trial necessitates the support of at least one-third of all House members. While President Marcos’s allies hold a majority in the House, a Senate conviction remains a significant hurdle, potentially alienating Duterte’s supporters ahead of the May midterm elections.
The deteriorating relationship between Duterte and Marcos reached a boiling point late last month when Duterte, in a livestreamed broadcast, claimed she had arranged for the assassination of the President, his wife, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, in the event of her death. While she later claimed her remarks were taken out of context, the incident, coupled with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s past public boasts of directing a “death squad,” has fueled considerable political tension.
Adding further complexity to the situation, former President Duterte last week called for the military to address what he termed “fractured governance,” a statement interpreted by some as an implicit call for military intervention, despite his denials of inciting a coup. Separately, police filed a complaint against Vice President Duterte and her security detail for alleged assault and coercion following an incident involving the transfer of her chief of staff.
The impeachment complaint, endorsed by Congressman Perci Cendaña of Akbayan and supported by a group including civil society leaders and former government officials, highlights the gravity of the situation and the deep divisions within the Philippine government. The complaint alleges that Duterte’s actions demonstrate “the depths and/or extent of her mental incapacity, her depravity, and lack of mental fitness to continue holding the office.” Despite the ongoing political turmoil, the Philippine benchmark stock index rose 2% on Monday.
