Philippine lawmakers on Wednesday voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, who has fallen out spectacularly with the country's leader, paving the way for a Senate trial that could see her removed from office.

While specifics of the impeachment have yet to be divulged, the vote follows the filing of a trio of complaints in December accusing Duterte of crimes ranging from the "brazen misuse" of millions of dollars in public funds to plotting President Ferdinand Marcos's assassination.

"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," House Speaker Martin Romualdez told lawmakers.

At a small rally outside the House of Representatives, student protester Darlene Cerico told AFP the impeachment vote represented a major victory, if an incomplete one.

"I feel so happy because this proves the power of collective action. We know there are still many things to accomplish ... to fully hold Sara Duterte accountable," Cerico said.

The fate of the former president's daughter now lies in the hands of the Philippines' 24 senators, two-thirds of whom........

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