Philippines’ impeachment showdown: why removing VP Sara could be uphill battle
Prosecutors will need at least 16 votes to convict her but analysts warn the Senate’s shifting loyalties may complicate the task
Legal experts told This Week in Asia they expected Duterte-Carpio to be difficult, though not impossible, to convict despite the gravity of the charges because prosecutors would need at least 16 senators – two-thirds of the chamber – to vote against her and the Senate line-up remained fluid.
The House of Representatives impeached her on May 11 for culpable violation of the 1987 constitution by allegedly misusing 612.5 million pesos (US$10 million) in confidential funds in her office and while she was education secretary.
She was also accused of amassing billions of pesos in unexplained wealth beyond what she had declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, and of failing to divest business interests as required by law.
While education secretary, she also allegedly bribed subordinates with cash to persuade them to circumvent procurement rules.
Duterte-Carpio has broadly denied the allegations, calling the complaints false and legally insufficient.