Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte is facing an impeachment case centred on allegations of unexplained wealth amounting to P817.87 million. The proceedings focus on financial questions raised against her as lawmakers examine the allegations and determine the next steps.
Philippines VP Sara Duterte Faces Impeachment Over Alleged Unexplained Wealth Worth P817.87 Million.
Philippine Impeachment Panel Focuses on Sara Duterte’s Alleged P817.87 Million in Unexplained Wealth
The prosecution team from the Philippine House of Representatives has decided to withdraw three charges against Vice President Sara Duterte, narrowing its impeachment case to allegations of unexplained wealth totalling P817.87 million (Dh48.68 million).
During proceedings on Tuesday, lead prosecutor and representative Gerville Luistro asked the Impeachment Court to retain only the charge concerning the alleged accumulation of undeclared assets and unexplained wealth between 2022 and 2025.
Luistro said the decision was intended to streamline the proceedings and allow the trial to concentrate on the remaining allegation. She maintained that the prosecution had presented substantial evidence that could independently support a conviction and justify Duterte’s removal from office.
The charges being dropped relate to the alleged misuse of confidential funds, bribery and grave threats. These allegations were among the four original articles of impeachment brought against the vice president.
However, Duterte’s defence team criticised the prosecution’s decision, questioning why the charges were being withdrawn after weeks of hearings.
Lead defence counsel Sheila Sison described the move as “very strange” and argued that it deprived Duterte of the opportunity to formally challenge the allegations involving confidential funds and grave threats in open court.
Sison also questioned the prosecution’s explanation that the withdrawal was intended to save time, pointing out that the proceedings had already involved 38 days of open-court hearings.
The decision leaves the alleged unexplained wealth charge as the central issue in the impeachment proceedings. The prosecution maintains that the evidence supporting this allegation is sufficient to pursue the case, while the defence has challenged the timing and fairness of dropping the other charges.
The outcome of the proceedings will depend on the court’s consideration of the remaining allegations and the evidence presented by both sides.
The impeachment prosecution team of the Philippine House of Representatives has withdrawn three of the four original charges filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, choosing to proceed only with the allegation of unexplained wealth.
The charges removed from the case are Article I, which concerns the alleged misuse of confidential funds; Article III, involving bribery allegations; and Article IV, which relates to alleged grave threats.
The prosecution will retain Article II, which accuses Duterte of accumulating P817.87 million in allegedly undeclared assets and unexplained wealth between 2022 and 2025. The panel said the decision would allow it to concentrate on the remaining allegation during the impeachment proceedings.
