Sara Duterte: Impeachment Bribery Charge Dropped Amid Trial

• Prosecutors dropped a bribery charge against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday, February 7, 2025, to expedite her impeachment trial.
• Duterte still faces three other charges: misuse of state funds, unexplained wealth, and an alleged assassination threat against President Marcos Jr.
• A conviction on any charge would result in her removal from office and a permanent ban from elected positions, ending her 2028 presidential bid.
• The Senate recently lowered the number of votes needed for a guilty verdict to 14, by ruling that "all members" refers only to those "capable of participating."
• This reinterpretation, coupled with the absence of four pro-Duterte senators, is seen as a significant blow to her defense.

Consequently, with these absences and the new interpretation, only 14 votes are now necessary to convict Vice President Duterte, a notable reduction from the original two-thirds of the full 24-member body.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, 48, saw a bribery charge against her dropped by prosecutors on Friday, February 7, 2025, during her ongoing impeachment trial. This development occurred as the proceedings reached their 37th day. Despite the removal of one accusation, Duterte continues to face three other serious charges that could lead to her removal from office and a permanent ban from holding elected positions, thereby ending her potential presidential bid in 2028.

The remaining accusations against the Vice President include the alleged misuse of state funds, an unexplained wealth case, and an alleged assassination threat directed at her former political ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The House of Representatives initiated the impeachment process against Duterte in May, leading to the current trial in the Senate. Should the Senate find her guilty on any of these outstanding charges, the consequences would be immediate and severe, stripping her of her current role and precluding future political aspirations.

The decision by prosecutors from the House of Representatives to withdraw the bribery charge was explicitly aimed at accelerating the impeachment trial. According to Representative Jonathan Keith Flores, one of the prosecutors, sufficient evidence had already been presented across the various charges, and prolonging the proceedings risked exhausting the patience of both the public and the senator-judges. This strategic move underscores a prosecutorial effort to streamline the case, focusing resources on the charges deemed most robust for conviction.

Prosecutors have already concluded presenting evidence and witnesses related to the alleged assassination threat and the misuse of funds charges. On the same Friday, prosecutor Jose Manuel Diokno informed the court that their final witness in the unexplained wealth case had been presented, with cross-examination scheduled for the following Monday. The Senate had initially allocated 60 trial days for the prosecution to present its full case, after which Vice President Duterte will have the opportunity to present her own defense, including witnesses and evidence.

A significant procedural shift occurred last month, which has been widely interpreted as a considerable setback for Vice President Duterte. The 24-seat Senate voted to lower the number of votes required to secure a guilty verdict in the impeachment trial. This reinterpretation of constitutional requirements potentially simplifies the path to her removal from office.

The Philippine Constitution mandates a two-thirds guilty verdict from "all members of the Senate" for an impeachment conviction. However, the Senate ruled that this constitutional provision refers only to those members "capable of participating" in the proceedings. This reinterpretation is particularly impactful given the current composition of the Senate, where at least four senators known to be loyal to the Vice President are currently absent from the trial. Two of these senators are incarcerated, one is reportedly in hiding, and another is on an extended medical leave abroad. Consequently, with these absences and the new interpretation, only 14 votes are now necessary to convict Vice President Duterte, a notable reduction from the original two-thirds of the full 24-member body.

This development illustrates prosecutorial strategy in high-profile impeachment proceedings, specifically the decision to streamline a case by dropping a charge to expedite trial. It also highlights the dynamic interpretation of constitutional voting thresholds in impeachment, which could influence future political accountability cases and constitutional law discussions in the Philippines.

Source: Original reporting via Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.