Impeachment trial begins for Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte

Duterte denies the charges, which include amassing unexplained wealth and publicly threatening to have the president assassinated.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Senate, acting as an impeachment court, will open the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday in a politically volatile event that will unfold with the backdrop of her bitter political feud with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

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More than 6,000 police officers, including anti-riot squads, were deployed to secure the Senate, where pro- and anti-Duterte demonstrators were expected to converge. Duterte or her lawyers can appear at the start of the trial, which will run for 92 days, according to a pretrial plan seen by The Associated Press.

If convicted of the charges, which include amassing unexplained wealth and publicly threatening to have Marcos assassinated, Duterte may be permanently disqualified from holding public office. She denies the charges.