Lawmakers in the Philippines’ House of Representatives on Wednesday (Feb 05) voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

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House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced the decision saying, "Having been filed by more than one-third of the membership of the House of Representatives, or a total of 215 members ... the motion is approved." However, he did not disclose the specific charges against Duterte.

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Duterte, who is the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, is accused of misusing millions of dollars in public funds and allegedly making threats against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr, suggesting he should be assassinated.

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She has rejected the accusations, claiming she is the target of a political vendetta. Out of 306 members in the House of Representatives, 215 voted in favour of impeachment, surpassing the required one-third threshold for the motion to advance.

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The case will now proceed to the Senate, where the 24 members will act as an impeachment court. If convicted, Duterte could be removed from office and barred from holding public office in the future, making her the first vice president in the country’s history to be impeached.

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Until the Senate reaches a verdict, Duterte is expected to remain in her position.

(With inputs from agencies)