A trial has begun in the Philippines' Senate to decide if Sara Duterte should be impeached, in a first for a sitting vice-president
Thousands of police officers have been deployed outside the Senate building amid worries of unrest. Recent weeks have seen heightened political tension including an alleged shooting, arrests and street protests
Duterte is charged with corruption and for publicly threatening to have President Bongbong Marcos assassinated- she has denied the charges, calling them political harassment.
A two-thirds majority of the Senate is required to convict Duterte. If found guilty, she will be disqualified from running for president in 2028
Duterte has been locked in a bitter feud with Marcos for years. This trial shifts their power struggle to a new battleground and tests how much support each can muster, says our reporter Joel Guinto
Protesters have had a "minor altercation" with the police near the Manila Film Center, a short walk from the Senate building, according to a video posted on X by a reporter from broadcaster ABS-CBN.
According to the post, the demonstrators marched up to gate of the Senate building. But a district police chief said the brief clash was due to a "misunderstanding", ABS-CBN reported.
Virma Simonette Rivera
Reporting from Manila
As the trial unfolds inside the Senate building in the capital, Filipinos across the nation are also keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
Livestreams of the trial, hosted by major media networks and the Senate's official YouTube channel, have each attracted tens of thousands of viewers.
At least one organisation monitoring the impeachment trial, Bantay Senado, is holding a watch party in Manila. The House of Representatives' prosecution has also called on law schools, communities, and civil society groups to organise their own watch parties.
A ride-hailing driver told me earlier today that he would stop working to tune in to today's trial.
“I need to know what this is all about. Who is telling the truth?" he said.
Senators are now debating who should preside over the impeachment trial after a question raised by a Duterte ally, Alan Peter Cayetano, from the minority bloc.
Majority senators say the question should be settled by the Senate in a regular session and not while they are convened as an impeachment court.
As Duterte's impeachment trial takes place in the Senate's main meeting hall, reporters have crowded into a separate room to cover the case. Here's a look from our reporter on the ground Virma Simonette Rivera:
Image source, Virma Simonette Rivera/BBC
Image source, Virma Simonette Rivera/BBC
Image source, Virma Simonette Rivera/BBCDuterte is not expected in court as she is not required to attend today's session.
Today is the first day of a trial that has been granted a maximum duration of 92 days, though it is unclear if it will last that long.
Twenty-one of 24 incumbent senators are present at today's opening session.
Senate leader Sherwin Gatchalian, who will preside over the trial, delivers an opening message calling on his colleagues to deliver "impartial justice" in the case.
Gatchalian said the trial will be conducted with "integrity, order and respect for due process".
He said he would make sure that ordinary Filipinos would understand the proceedings.
"The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte is hereby called to order," says Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, the presiding officer of the trial.
The proceedings begin with a prayer by Senator Bam Aquino.
Prosecutors from the House of Representatives and the vice-president's lawyers have taken their spots in the Senate hall and the trial is about to begin.
We are waiting for the senators who will be acting as judges to enter the hall.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest.
Joel Guinto
Senior Journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesBongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte were unstoppable during the 2022 elections. Under a system dominated by personality politics, the so-called "Tiger of the North" and "Eagle of the South" were seen as a dream team.
Bongbong, the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, commanded votes from the country's north. He recast his father's rule, which was marred by allegations of widespread corruption and human rights abuse, as the country's golden age.
Sara, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, hails from the south and promised to continue her father's tough stance on crime while redistributing power long held by the Manila elite.
But in the end, there was not enough power to share between them, and the alliance crumbled soon after they assumed power.
Since then Sara has been laying the groundwork for her campaign for the 2028 presidency, while Marcos has been trying to line up a friendly successor who will not go after him when he leaves office.
Today's trial shifts this long-running power struggle to a new battleground, one that will play out on livestreams for the entire nation to watch almost everyday.
Ahead of the 2028 election, this trial will test how much support Marcos and Duterte can muster both from the Senate and from the public.
Here are key events that led to today's impeachment trial:
Image source, EPAIn the last few weeks, thousands of members of a religious group have been taking to the streets to protest the impending arrest of Rodante Marcoleta, grinding traffic to a standstill in the capital city.
Marcoleta, a senator and key Duterte ally, has been accused of violating gift-giving laws. He was arrested on Monday hours before Duterte's impeachment trial.
The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), a religious movement founded in 1913, has close to three million members, representing 2.6% of the population, according to the government's 2020 census.
Its members vote as a bloc and they had backed Marcos and Sara Duterte when they were still allies. But as the alliance soured, the INC has thrown their support behind Duterte.
At the time, the church's spokesman Edwil Zabala had slammed the case against Rodante Marcoleta as "selective justice".
His arrest, which took place hours ahead of the trial, threatens to reduce support for Duterte in Monday's trial.
Image source, EPAThe Philippines has arrested a senator and key ally of Vice President Sara Duterte just hours before the Senate begins a trial to decide if Duterte should be impeached.
Rodante Marcoleta is facing charges over his alleged failure to declare 75m pesos ($1.2m) in campaign donations from three private donors in January 2025.
The 72-year-old's arrest threatens to reduce support for Duterte in the 24-member Senate, which will act as a court in her impeachment trial.
The trial is set to begin at 14:00 local time (07:00 BST).
With the trial due to begin in about two hours, there is a heavy security presence outside the Senate building in Manila. Philippine media are reporting that more than 3,000 policemen have been deployed.
The BBC's Virma Simonette Rivera is on the ground - some policemen have told her that they have been there as early as 05:00 local time.
Several roads in the vicinity have also been closed.
Image source, BBC/Virma Simonette RiveraHundreds of policemen are outside the Senate building
Image source, BBC/Virma Simonette RiveraThe police have prepared riot gear in case of protests
Image source, BBC/Virma Simonette RiveraPeople attending the trial have gathered inside the Senate building
Image source, Getty ImagesSara Duterte is the frontrunner to succeed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. She has been charged with corruption and publicly threatening to have Marcos assassinated.
Marcos and Duterte successfully ran on a joint ticket in 2022, but their alliance has since unravelled and turned into a bitter rivalry.
If found guilty, the 48-year-old daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte will be disqualified from running to succeed Marcos in the 2028 general election.
The vice-president has denied the charges levelled against her, calling them political harassment.
Vice-President Sara Duterte's historic impeachment trial starts today in Manila, following months of heightened political tension in the Philippines.
The trial in the Senate raises the stakes of the country's long running political feud.
If found guilty, Duterte will be disqualified from running in 2028 to succeed her political nemesis, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
The daughter of a former president, Duterte has denied the charges against her, claiming they amount to political persecution.
It is the first time that a Philippine vice-president will face an impeachment trial and the weeks leading up to today have been marked by intense turmoil in the country.
Join as as we cover today's trial.
