MANILA, March 4 (Reuters) – Philippine lawmakers ordered Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday to respond to impeachment complaints against her after finding substance to allegations involving unexplained wealth, the misuse of public funds and making public threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte is seen as a frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election, and has said she would run for the top post. She survived a similar impeachment bid last year, which the Supreme Court struck down for violating constitutional safeguards.
If convicted by the Senate at trial, Duterte would be removed from office and disqualified from holding any future government position.
Wednesday’s vote in the House of Representatives’ justice committee comes amid a bitter falling out between the two leaders, both scions of powerful political families, who swept to power in 2022 before becoming rivals.
Duterte’s defence team said in a statement it will weigh the congressional committee’s vote.
“For now, we will refrain from discussing the substance of the case in the media and will instead address these matters through the proper constitutional processes,” it said.
Before any vote on whether an impeachment trial should go ahead, the House will consider Duterte’s response to the charges, if she makes one, as well as any reply from the complainants.
The complaints against Duterte include the misuse of confidential funds, bribery and unexplained wealth, and publicly threatening to have Marcos killed, along with his wife and a cousin who was House speaker at the time.
“This is a very good development that the process of accountability is now moving,” Representative Leila de Lima told Reuters. De Lima endorsed one of the complaints against Duterte.
Four impeachment complaints were initially lodged against Duterte, but one complaint was dismissed over a rule that prohibits such complaints from being filed within a year after previously being submitted. Another complaint was withdrawn to fast-track the proceedings and because it was similar to another complaint.
Marcos survived a separate impeachment bid against him last month after his allies in Congress voted to dismiss it.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by David Stanway)
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