A multitude of demonstrators have flooded the streets of Manila to request the removal of Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte through impeachment.
The protesters in the capital brandished signs demanding Duterte’s ouster and chanted “Impeach! Impeach Sara now!” as they congregated on Friday morning. Approximately 4,000 individuals participated in the rally, according to the police, with a deployment of 7,400 riot police by authorities.
An even larger gathering took place earlier this month by a conservative faction opposing the impeachment demands made in December.
Duterte is facing three impeachment complaints for alleged misconduct and misuse of government funds amounting to millions while serving as education secretary during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Legislators have yet to address the complaints just days before Congress adjourns next week before the May midterm elections.
House of Representatives member Percival Cendana, a supporter of one of the impeachment complaints, urged his colleagues to act promptly. He told reporters that every day of inaction “condones the impunity, the abuse of power and the harassment that Duterte is doing to our country’s leaders.”
An impeachment can only proceed if it receives the support of a third of House of Representatives members, and an impeached official can be removed from office by a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
“The Filipino people are here, ready to stand for truth and justice. Let’s not fail them,” Cendana emphasized.
However, following the pro-Duterte rally, attended by an estimated 1.5 million people, doubts have emerged regarding Congress’s willingness to address the complaints before the midterm elections.
The House Secretary General stated that the legislative body is awaiting a potential fourth complaint before forwarding them to the speaker.
The 46-year-old vice president, who is currently estranged from Marcos but remains his constitutional successor, has refuted the accusations against her, labeling them as politically motivated.
Since her public fallout with Marcos Jr last year, she has made threats of assassination towards the president, the first lady, and the speaker.
In October, she mentioned to reporters that her relationship with Marcos had deteriorated to the point where she occasionally envisions beheading him.
Duterte and Marcos ran on a platform of unity during the 2022 national elections when they were a ticket.
Duterte is the daughter of Marcos’s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, known for his controversial language and a contentious war on drugs currently being investigated by the International Criminal Court.
Marcos himself has urged Congress not to pursue Duterte’s impeachment, deeming it a trivial matter that would divert the legislature from its main duties.
