Politics · Philippines Bureau
Senate Impeachment Court Trims Charges Against VP Duterte to One
The Senate impeachment court has approved the withdrawal of three articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, leaving only allegations of unexplained wealth and nondisclosure of assets for trial.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The Senate impeachment court on Tuesday permitted the House prosecution panel to withdraw three of four impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte, significantly narrowing the scope of the ongoing trial.
Presiding Officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero granted approval for the withdrawal, leaving allegations concerning unexplained wealth and nondisclosure of assets as the sole remaining basis for the impeachment proceedings. The decision effectively reduces the charges to a single article that will be litigated before the Senate.
The move represents a substantial shift in the impeachment case, which has drawn significant political attention since its filing. With the withdrawal of the three articles, the prosecution's case now hinges entirely on financial accountability claims against the Vice President.
The impeachment trial continues before the full Senate, where a two-thirds majority vote would be required for conviction and removal from office. The case marks the first impeachment proceedings against a sitting Vice President under the current political administration.