In Manila, tensions rise as the Philippine Senate embarks on an impeachment trial for Vice President Sara Duterte, amidst a backdrop of political unrest that recently escalated into an exchange of gunfire within the Senate chamber. The trial, which began on Monday, marks a significant point of contention in the nation’s fraught political landscape.
Last week, the House of Representatives decisively voted to impeach Duterte. The charges against her include alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of public funds, and making a public threat to assassinate the president should she be harmed due to their political disputes. Despite the seriousness of these allegations, Duterte, who has ambitions of running for president in 2028, has denied all charges but has remained tight-lipped on the specifics.
Adding another layer to the saga, Duterte’s father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is currently detained by the International Criminal Court. He faces charges of crimes against humanity, linked to his controversial anti-drug operations that led to the deaths of thousands, primarily targeting minor offenders, during his presidency.
As the impeachment trial looms, internal dynamics within the Senate have shifted unexpectedly. A coalition of 13 out of 24 senators, predominantly aligned with the Duterte family, swiftly took control of the Senate leadership just last Monday, casting doubt on the trial’s proceedings and potential outcomes.
Amidst this political turmoil, Vice President Duterte has accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—once her ally and electoral partner in the 2022 elections—of orchestrating her father’s “kidnapping.” This accusation refers to the arrest and subsequent extradition of her father to the international court in The Hague earlier this year.
The vice president has blamed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her former ally and running mate in the 2022 election, for “kidnapping” her ailing father, referring to his arrest and transfer to the international court in The Hague last March.
The escalating disputes between the country’s two top leaders reflect the deep divisions that have long plagued the rambunctious Asian democracy.
One of the senators, Ronald dela Rosa, served as Rodrigo Duterte’s national police chief and enforced his bloody crackdowns on illegal drugs. The ICC has named dela Rosa as a co-conspirator and unsealed a warrant for his arrest last Monday.
That same day, Dela Rosa, who was absent from the Senate for months for fear of arrest, suddenly showed up in the chamber to enable Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, a key ally of the Dutertes, to gain a slim majority and capture the Senate presidency.
Dela Rosa told reporters he came out of hiding and went to the Senate using Cayetano’s van but was nearly arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents. He dashed into a stairway and ran to the Senate plenary hall, where Cayetano and other allies placed him under the chamber’s “protective custody.”
A tense standoff between the Senate’s security personnel and government agents positioned in an adjacent government building escalated into an exchange of fire Wednesday night with the Senate personnel firing what their chief, Mao Aplasca, said were warning shots. Marcos appealed to the public to remain calm in a late-night call on national TV.
Cayetano later said that dela Rosa had disappeared from the Senate. Authorities said they were investigating the possibility that the exchange of fire may have been instigated to enable dela Rosa’s escape.
