No joke, no joke.
Vice President Sara Duterte's statement earlier this fall, that she had hired a professional killer to kill the country's President Ferdinand Marcos if she herself were killed first, has received enormous attention.
A Series of Accusations
A impeachment process has now been initiated in the House of Representatives in Manila. In the indictment, Duterte is accused of constitutional corruption and other serious crimes – including death threats against the President, his wife, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Allegations of extrajudicial executions and unexplained wealth are also listed. Duterte's actions show "mental incompetence and depravity" to such an extent that she should not continue as Vice President, according to the document that AP has read.
It was in November that Sara Duterte, daughter of the tough former President Rodrigo Duterte, announced that she had hired a professional killer who would kill several high-ranking countrymen if she herself were killed first.
The Vice President has since said that she did not mean to threaten the President – but rather expressed concern about her own security.
On a Collision Course
The impeachment process will now be reviewed by Congress, which is dominated by allies of President Marcos. The process can take months.
The now 46-year-old lawyer Sara Duterte was Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s running mate in the election in May 2022. The duo ran under the banner of national unity and won big.
After the victory, they quickly ended up on a collision course. Among other things, they are deeply divided on how the Philippines should handle China's actions in disputed areas in the South China Sea.
