Prosecutors drop 3 impeachment charges against Philippine VP Duterte to speed up trial

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Prosecutors dropped three of four impeachment charges against Vice President Sara Duterte Tuesday to speed up her ongoing trial, saying the remaining allegation of unexplained wealth was enough to convict her.

The Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, approved the move. But Duterte’s lawyers called it “completely unfair,” saying prosecutors had already addressed two of the dropped charges in public hearings, exposing her to damaging allegations.

The House of Representatives, which is dominated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s allies, impeached Duterte in May over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential state funds, bribery and a public threat to have the president, his wife and a former House speaker assassinated if she were killed because of their political disputes. She has broadly denied the allegations.

Her public trial began in July against the backdrop of her bitter feud with Marcos. The country’s two highest-ranking officials were running mates during the 2022 elections, but their alliance rapidly fell apart.

“We believe that evidence is substantial and compelling and warrants the respondent’s removal from office for culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust,” Rep. Gerville Luistro, who leads the prosecution team, told the impeachment court as she explained the decision to withdraw three charges.

“By focusing on one article, the matters requiring the impeachment court’s consideration are correspondingly narrowed with practical benefits for the Senate, the respondent and even the public,” Luistro said without elaborating.

Dropping the charges means 32 witnesses will no longer need to testify, Luistro said.

The remaining charge alleges that Duterte held unexplained wealth that she failed to report as required by law and that she and her husband had prohibited business interests. Prosecutors have presented anti-money laundering and tax officials, along with banking and insurance representatives, to support the allegations.

If convicted, Duterte could be permanently barred from public office. She has announced plans to run for president in the 2028 elections.

She is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested last year on orders of the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes against humanity linked to his anti-drugs crackdowns while in office. He remains in ICC custody in the Netherlands, with his trial scheduled to start on Nov. 30.

The vice president has blamed Marcos and his administration for the arrest of her father and turnover to the ICC.