Philippines' Duterte-Carpio staves off impeachment trial after Senate vote
The unprecedented move on Tuesday, which was settled by a vote of 18-5, has triggered an intense debate online about the senators' actions and Duterte-Carpio's political future.
'I think, for now, Sara has momentum even if the president still has three years left in his term of office,' political risk analyst Rolando Llamas told This Week in Asia, referring to the country's leader, Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.
There has been widespread speculation that Duterte-Carpio is expected to contest the 2028 presidential election, and her ally, Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa, told his colleagues on Tuesday that the impeachment trial was meant to derail that.
But whether she could clinch the presidency even if she were to escape impeachment would depend on her support from youth and millennial voters, with these groups seen as more demanding of accountability from officials, according to Llamas.
This demographic enabled the Akbayan party list group to unexpectedly win the recent Senate midterm elections, with Francis Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, two opposition senators who are not allied with either the Duterte family or Marcos Jnr, coming into office, according to Llamas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What US tariffs mean for Malaysian businesses and workers
When the US tariffs finally landed on July 31, the 19 per cent rate came as some relief in Malaysia . But in the days since, Malaysia's government, businesses and confused public are still unpacking the fine print in a deal that gives US companies wide open access to their home market – while restricting its own giant economy to Malaysian exports. The tariff rate puts Malaysia on equal footing with Indonesia Thailand and the Philippines , and slightly better off than Vietnam 's 20 per cent. At face value, that means Malaysia retains a comparative advantage over its Southeast Asian peers with its higher base of performance in mature industries, including the semiconductor sector. But it is still a slap in the face for a country which sent a record 198.7 billion ringgit (US$47 billion) in shipments to the US last year. Export businesses are bracing for plummeting demand from US clients as prices are likely to soar when the tariffs take effect from August 7. The deal also raises questions as to whether Malaysia gave up too much, especially with its pledge to spend US$240 billion on US products and investments over the next decade. While it is still early days – finer details of the deal will be known after Malaysia and the US officially sign a trade agreement later this year – many are already preparing for the worst. Here's what we know … and some of what we do not. 1. Who will hurt the most?
South China Morning Post
3 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Singapore's children of migrants can build bridges to rest of Asia
One in three marriages in Singapore is a transnational union. Each year, Singapore naturalises about 20,000 new citizens and grants another 30,000 permanent residency status, many of them children and young people. These two demographic trends are creating a generation of young Singaporeans who are invisible yet in plain sight – ethnically Asian and seamlessly integrated into local life yet carrying deep cultural and familial connections to our regional neighbours. While debates in the last few years over National Day posters featuring migrants sparked heated discussions about Singaporean identity, we have overlooked a more profound transformation already under way. Singapore is producing a unique population that challenges conventional thinking about immigration and integration: second-generation immigrants who face neither the racial barriers nor the social isolation often experienced by immigrant communities elsewhere. My four-year research project reveals that Singapore's approach to integrating the children of migrants has created dual outcomes. On one hand, it has achieved remarkable integration success as these young people blend into Singaporean society. On the other, it has erased their immigrant backgrounds and regional connections, missing a strategic opportunity for soft power. Two demographic trends are reshaping Singapore's population in ways official statistics don't fully capture. First is the rise in Singaporean-foreigner marriages, which has remained stable at roughly one-third of all marriages. Initially driven by Singaporean men marrying foreign women , we now also see increasing numbers of Singaporean women marrying foreign men. Most children from these unions take Singapore citizenship while maintaining cultural and linguistic ties to their parents' countries of origin.
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Forgive and forget? Prabowo's pardons divide Indonesia
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has granted pardons to two high-profile political figures convicted of corruption-related offences, a move swiftly approved by parliament and framed by his administration as an effort to promote national unity. Advertisement But the decision has drawn scrutiny as both men were seen as political opponents of Prabowo's coalition during last year's election, with critics arguing it risks politicising the pardon process and undermining judicial independence in the world's third-largest democracy. The pardons, a constitutional prerogative of the president, include one for former trade minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong – now a prominent government critic – who was sentenced to 4½ years in jail and fined 750 million rupiah (US$46,000) last month over a corruption case involving sugar import policies from 2015 to 2016. Prabowo also granted clemency to Hasto Kristiyanto, a secretary general at the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) who was sentenced to 3½ years in jail last month for abetting bribery. PDI-P was the winner of last year's legislative election and the only political party excluded from Prabowo's massive coalition, which boasts 81 per cent of the seats in parliament. Thomas Lembong at the Central Jakarta Court on July 18. Lembong was sentenced to 4½ years in jail and fined last month over a corruption case involving sugar import policies from 2015 to 2016. Photo: Reuters Lembong's pardon removes his case, including his sentences, from public records, whereas the terms of Hasto's pardon eliminate his punishment. The House of Representatives approved Prabowo's clemency plan on July 31, just a day after he filed the request.
