Duterte's fate in Senate's hands

Philippine senators prepare to be jurors in Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, write Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores

- Karen Lema and Mikhail Flores

Philippine senators were sworn in yesterday as jurors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, who faces a lifetime political ban if convicted of high crimes and betraying the public trust.

The trial could be a pivotal moment in Philippine politics by not only making or breaking Ms Duterte, but also carrying big implications for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his agenda for the remaining three years of his presidency and beyond.

A likely contender to be the next president, Ms Duterte, 47, was impeached in February by the lower house of Congress.

She denies all the accusations, from budget anomalies to amassing unusual wealth and threatening the lives of Mr Marcos, his wife, and the house speaker.

"We stand ready to confront the charges and expose the baselessness of the accusations," her office said in a statement released yesterday.