Vice President Sara Duterte of the Philippines was impeached by lawmakers on Wednesday, further escalating political tensions in a strategically important American ally in Asia.

       Ms. Duterte faced four complaints over her alleged misuse of millions in public funds and her pronouncements that she had made plans to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., his wife and the speaker of the House of Representatives, who is Mr. Marcos’s cousin.

       A little over three years ago, Ms. Duterte and Mr. Marcos, both scions of notorious political dynasties, joined forces to run together in a national election. They promised national unity and were elected in a landslide victory in 2022. But their partnership was widely seen as a marriage of convenience and ruptured soon after.

       Ms. Duterte has denied the accusations of corruption and cast the impeachment as politically motivated, a view shared by many Filipinos. Mr. Marcos has denied involvement in the impeachment proceedings, which threaten to end her political career.

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       “This is dragging the whole country to political chaos,” said Aries Arugay, chairman of the political science department at the University of the Philippines.

       “Unlike in the U.S., she has no critical function here as vice president,” Mr. Arugay added. “So, why? The political motivation here is to stop the eventuality of a Sara Duterte presidency.”

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