Philippines top court voids impeachment complaint against VP Duterte

MANILA: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte scored a major legal victory on Friday after the Supreme Court struck down an impeachment complaint against her, ruling it was unconstitutional.

The Philippines’ lower house of Congress impeached Duterte in February, accusing her of misusing public funds, amassing unusual wealth and threatening to kill Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the First Lady, and the House Speaker.

The court said it was not absolving Duterte of the charges.

The outcome could be a huge boost for the political ambitions of Duterte. She is widely seen as a strong contender for the 2028 presidency, which Marcos cannot contest due to a single-term limit for Philippine presidents.

A conviction in an impeachment trial would have seen Duterte banned from office for life. She has said the move to impeach her, which came amid a bitter feud with Marcos, was politically motivated.

Duterte is the daughter of firebrand former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court over his bloody war on drugs. He has denied wrongdoing.