SEAToday.com, Manila - The Philippine House of Representatives has officially approved the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte after the motion submitted to parliament garnered support from more than 200 lawmakers.

Quoted from ANTARA, during a plenary session on Wednesday, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco stated that at least 215 out of 318 House members had formally declared their support for Duterte’s impeachment, as reported by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe explained that the number of votes exceeded the minimum threshold of one-third of total House members, a requirement for parliament to deliberate and decide on the impeachment proposal.

With sufficient support secured, House Speaker Martin Romualdez struck the gavel to officially approve the motion to impeach Sara Duterte from her position as vice president.

The next stage of the impeachment process will take place in the Philippine Senate, where senators will act as judges to determine whether Duterte should be removed from office.

For the impeachment to be fully enforced, the decision must be approved by at least two-thirds of the Senate members.

As part of the trial process, the House of Representatives has appointed 11 of its members to serve as prosecutors in the Senate impeachment proceedings.

According to PNA reports, the impeachment is based on six allegations, including violations of the constitution, abuse of power under the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Law, and other legal infractions.

One of the main accusations is Duterte’s alleged involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, which was confirmed through a House commission investigation.

Additionally, the House uncovered allegations of fund misappropriation amounting to 612.5 million pesos (Rp172.3 billion) during Duterte’s tenure as Minister of Education, along with bribery and corruption within the ministry.

Furthermore, Duterte is accused of being involved in extrajudicial killings during her time as Mayor of Davao. She was also criticized for failing to declare her assets, as Philippine authorities discovered unexplained wealth accumulation.

Other allegations include actions deemed as threats to national stability, such as boycotting President Marcos’ annual parliamentary address, leading protests demanding the president’s resignation, and obstructing parliamentary investigations.

If found guilty by the Philippine Senate with the approval of two-thirds of the senators, Sara Duterte will be officially removed from office as vice president and permanently barred from holding public office.