Philippine senators on Tuesday voted to send an impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte back to the lower house for clarification. They voted just hours after they opened a trial that could have banned her from politics for life.

After debates among members, which included a motion by a Duterte ally to dismiss the case, the senators voted to return it to the lower house. They asked the lower house to certify that the complaint was constitutional.

In February, the lower house voted to impeach the vice president. They accused her of high crimes and betrayal of public trust. Duterte strongly denied the allegations.

A majority of the senators on Tuesday approved a motion to return the case. They wanted to confirm that the complaint did not violate the constitution. They also stated that the next session of Congress was "willing and ready" to pursue the impeachment complaint after the May midterm elections.

The decision could delay the process for Duterte, who is a likely contender to be the next president. The trial could become a pivotal moment in Philippine politics.

The outcome of the trial could either make or break Duterte. It also held major implications for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his agenda for the remaining three years of his presidency and beyond.

The impeachment accusations against Duterte included budget anomalies, amassing unusual wealth, and threatening the lives of Marcos, his wife, and the house speaker. She rejected the allegations. On Tuesday, her office said the impeachment process had been weaponised.

The trial followed a bitter falling-out between Duterte and Marcos. They had run on a joint ticket that won the 2022 election in a landslide.

Marcos could only serve one term. He was expected to try to retain future influence by grooming a successor who could face Duterte in the next election if she were acquitted.

The president distanced himself from the impeachment process. However, his legislative allies had launched it.

Sara Duterte became the fifth top Philippine official to be impeached. Only one, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, had been convicted.

The trial of former President Joseph Estrada was aborted in 2001 after some prosecutors walked out. Two other officials, an election commission chairman and an ombudsman, resigned after they were impeached.