Philippine senate convenes as impeachment court to try vice president as political storm rages

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine Senate convened as an impeachment court Monday for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over criminal charges, in a time of deep divisions that erupted into an exchange of gunfire last week in the chamber.

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte last Monday over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and a public threat to have the president assassinated if she herself were killed due to their political disputes.

The vice president, who has announced her plan to seek the presidency in 2028, has denied the charges but has refused to answer the allegations in detail.

Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been detained by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity. The charges stem from anti-drugs crackdowns he ordered while in power that killed thousands of mostly petty suspects.

Ahead of the impeachment trial, 13 of 24 senators led by allies of the Dutertes suddenly wrested the presidency of the Senate last Monday, leaving the outcome of the trial in question.

The vice president has blamed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her former ally and running mate in the 2022 election, for “kidnapping” her ailing father, referring to his arrest and transfer to the international court in The Hague last March.

The escalating disputes between the country’s two top leaders reflect the deep divisions that have long plagued the rambunctious Asian democracy.

One of the senators, Ronald dela Rosa, served as Rodrigo Duterte’s national police chief and enforced his bloody crackdowns on illegal drugs. The ICC has named dela Rosa as a co-conspirator and unsealed a warrant for his arrest last Monday.

That same day, Dela Rosa, who was absent from the Senate for months for fear of arrest, suddenly showed up in the chamber to enable Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, a key ally of the Dutertes, to gain a slim majority and capture the Senate presidency.

Dela Rosa told reporters he came out of hiding and went to the Senate using Cayetano’s van but was nearly arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents. He dashed into a stairway and ran to the Senate plenary hall, where Cayetano and other allies placed him under the chamber’s “protective custody.”

A tense standoff between the Senate’s security personnel and government agents positioned in an adjacent government building escalated into an exchange of fire Wednesday night with the Senate personnel firing what their chief, Mao Aplasca, said were warning shots. Marcos appealed to the public to remain calm in a late-night call on national TV.

Cayetano later said that dela Rosa had disappeared from the Senate. Authorities said they were investigating the possibility that the exchange of fire may have been instigated to enable dela Rosa's escape.

Philippine Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aguirre Aquino IV, center, looks at his phone as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Philippine senators convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Philippine Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano bangs the gavel as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Philippine senator Robin Padilla, left, and Christopher "Bong" Go takes oath as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Philippine senators take oath as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Police personnel stand behind their shields outside the Senate of the Philippines, in Manila, Thursday May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerard Carreon)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Israeli military began intercepting boats on Monday morning that are part of the latest wave of flotilla activists attempting to break the blockade of Gaza.

More than 50 vessels departed from the port in Marmaris, Turkey, last week in what the organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla described as the final leg of their planned journey to Gaza’s shores.

The organization’s livestream on Monday showed activists aboard several vessels putting on life jackets and raising their hands before a boat carrying troops approached. Israeli troops wearing tactical gear boarded the ship, and the livestream abruptly ended. Many of the ships are currently off the coast of Cyprus.

Other footage showed Israeli troops on speedboats approaching and instructing the activists to move to the front of the boat.

An hour prior to the interception, Israel’s Foreign Ministry called on activists to “change course and turn back immediately.”

“Once again, a provocation for the sake of provocation: another so-called “humanitarian aid flotilla” with no humanitarian aid,” the Foreign Ministry posted on X. The Israeli military declined to comment on the ongoing operation.

Organizers said the boats were intercepted 250 nautical miles from the shores of Gaza. Unlike previous interceptions, which took place under the cover of night, the Israeli military boarded the boats in broad daylight.

The blockade has been in effect for 18 years, long predating the recent war in Gaza.

Israel and Egypt, which borders Gaza to the south, imposed the blockade after the 2007 Hamas takeover of the territory, seeking to prevent the group from smuggling in weapons. Since then, Israel has controlled Gaza’s airspace and coastline, and restricted the flow of goods and people in and out of the territory.

Some critics consider it collective punishment.

On April 30, Israeli forces intercepted more than 20 boats from a flotilla near the southern Greek island of Crete, initially holding about 175 activists. Israeli officials said they had to act early because of the high number of boats involved.

Israel took two of the activists — a Spanish-Swedish citizen of Palestinian origin, Saif Abukeshek, and Brazilian citizen Thiago Ávila — back to Israel, where they were interrogated and detained for several days. The activists accused Israel of torture, which Israel denied. Brazil and Spain condemned Israel for “kidnapping” their citizens. The two were deported from Israel after about a week in detention.

Organizers say the latest efforts involved a regrouped fleet joined by additional boats. Nearly 500 activists from 45 countries were taking part.

The activists’ attempt comes less than a year after Israeli authorities foiled a previous effort by the group to reach Gaza. That attempt involved about 50 vessels and around 500 activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and several European lawmakers.

Israel arrested, detained and later deported the participants, who claimed Israeli authorities abused them while in detention. Israeli authorities denied the accusations.

The Israeli action raised questions about what any nation can legally do to enforce a blockade in international waters. Several world leaders and human rights groups have condemned Israel, saying it violated international law.

Previous efforts to breach the blockade have also failed. In 2010, Israeli commandos raided the Turkish boat Mavi Marmara, which had been participating in an aid flotilla attempting to reach Gaza. Nine Turkish citizens and one Turkish-American on board were killed. The last time an activist boat succeeded in reaching Gaza was in 2008.

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, and the top diplomat overseeing it says it has stalled because of the deadlock over disarming Hamas. Both sides have traded accusations of violations. Gaza has seen near-daily Israeli fire with more than 850 people killed in the Palestinian territory since the ceasefire went into effect in October, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry is part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, but staffed by medical professionals who maintain and publish detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community. The ministry says Israel’s retaliatory strikes in the war have devastated the Palestinian enclave and killed more than 72,700 people.

The flotillas have been criticized for bringing minute amounts of aid on tiny ships. The Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid to Gaza claims that sufficient aid is entering Gaza, with around 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entering Gaza daily, similar to prewar levels.

Nonetheless, around 2 million Gaza residents are still living with severe shortages of housing, food and medicine.

Flotilla organizers have said they hope their latest attempt to reach Gaza will help highlight the living conditions endured by Palestinians in the territory, particularly as global attention has shifted its focus to the U.S. and Israel’s war against Iran.

Boats belonging to the Global Sumud Flotilla, carrying activists and humanitarian aid, depart for Gaza from the port of Marmaris, Turkey, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in an attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade. (AP Photo/Murat Kocabas)